Unreinforced masonry structures are vulnerable to seismic loading due to their brittle behavior, and must therefore be strengthened. This paper presents the seismic performance of brick masonry strengthened with steel and plastic meshes. For this purpose, twenty masonry wallets of (600 × 600 × 113 mm) were constructed, keeping the same materials and workmanship. Fifteen of them were reinforced using steel and plastic meshes. These specimens were tested for in-plane static cyclic diagonal tension (shear) behavior. The critical parameters, such as shear stress, strain, failure modes, ductility, energy dissipation, and stiffness degradation were investigated. Compared to reference and plastic-reinforced specimens, the steel-reinforced samples were found to be highly effective. Furthermore, the recommended category of steel increased the shear capacity, energy dissipation, and ductility ratio by 1.3, 14, and 6.3 times, respectively.
Keywords: brick masonry; mechanical performance; seismic behavior; strengthening.