Experimental Research on Size Effects of Brick Masonry Columns Reinforced with and Without External Angle Steel Under Axial Compression

For investigating the size effects of brick masonry columns and reinforced brick masonry columns with angle steel, axial compression tests were conducted on 12 square cross-section unreinforced and reinforced brick masonry columns with different sizes. The failure characteristics, load-displacement curves, curves of average stress of cross-section versus displacement, axial compressive strength and bearing capacity, nominal peak strain, and other characteristics of the specimens were analyzed. The results showed that, the cross-sectional area of the unreinforced brick masonry column had little effect on the axial compressive strength at height-thickness ratio of 3, but the nominal peak strain increased and then decreased with the increase of the cross-sectional area. The outer angle steel reinforcement could greatly improve the axial compressive load-bearing and deformation capacity of the brick masonry column, but the cross-sectional size had an impact on the reinforcement effect. The reinforcement effect of angle steel on small-sized specimens was better at the same height-thickness ratio, steel content of sections, and volume-reinforcement ratio. The nominal peak strain of the reinforced masonry columns decreased with the increase of cross-sectional area. Finally, the method of calculating the bearing capacity of brick masonry columns reinforced with angle steel was proposed.