Flexural Behavior of Reinforced Granite Members with Titanium Bars

Renovation and maintenance of heritage buildings to establish the cultural credibility of a country is an essential national task. To protect and maintain these structures, study of rehabilitation and strengthening methods for historical unreinforced masonry buildings has been a topic of experimental research. In Korea, significant historical structures made of granite stone require strengthening due to external destructive effects and internal degradation. Exposure to the elements has had an impact on granite stone resistance, resulting in separation and fracturing. To enhance structural behavior, pinning renovation techniques are essential. In this study, reinforcement by use of titanium bars was proposed as an effective method to improve the flexural strength of interconnected granite stones, which were applied in the restoration of Mireuksaji stone pagoda. Twenty specimens reinforced with titanium bars and epoxy resin were prepared, and a wide range of experiments were performed to determine strength performance of the structure based on various parameters. To provide a preliminary design guideline for reinforced epoxy-jointed granite segments, based on the current common practice in the design of concrete structures, failure of the specimens was classified as brittle or ductile. The results showed that adequate reinforcement following the proposed method can significantly enhance strength and ductility of the member.