Keywords
PP-band retrofitting, adobe masonry, roof diaphragm, earthquakes
IntroductionMost of the human fatalities during earthquakes in developing countries occur due to the collapse of low earthquake-resistant masonry houses [1]. Therefore, retrofitting of these types of masonry structures is the key issue for earthquake disaster mitigation in developing countries to reduce the casualties significantly. A number of retrofitting techniques have been developed for low earthquake-resistant, non-engineering masonry structures. However, people living in these types of houses have limited resources in the sense of financial support, construction technology and manpower. Therefore, when proposes a retrofitting technique, it should be low cost with the locally available material, applicable with low technical knowledge and culturally acceptable. Retrofitting masonry structures using PP-band (polypropylene band) meshes satisfies these requirements. PP meshing uses common PP packaging straps (PP bands) to form a mesh, which is then used to encase masonry walls by fixing to both faces of walls. The mesh prevents the separation of structural elements and the escape of debris, maintaining sufficient structural integrity to prevent collapse [2]. Past studies show that PP-band retrofitting improves the integrity of structural components and prevent the collapse of masonry structures during an earthquake [3][4][5][6][7].Experimental programs on PP-band retrofitting technique for in-plane and out-of-plane test on masonry wallets [3,8], shaking table test on a reduced scale masonry house models [4][5][6] and shaking table test of full-scale house models [7] have shown that PP-band retrofitting improves the seismic performance of the unreinforced masonry structures. These studies have also shown that, during moderate earthquakes, PP-band meshes can provide enough seismic resistance to guaranty limited and controlled cracking. Also, during strong earthquakes, they are expected to prevent or delay the collapse of the masonry structures. PP-band mesh retrofitting has had applications in China, Nepal, Pakistan, and Indonesia [9]. Past studies show that the performance of the PP-retrofitting structure is influenced by the pitch width of the mesh, tightness of the mesh attachment, materials used for surface plastering [10], the strength of the masonry unit [11] and PP-band mesh