Conclusions
The conventional methods of design and evaluation of strengthened masonry walls with RC layers have resulted in massive retrofitting details because of the consideration of inaccurate failure modes and the use of improper design relations. To account for this problem, this study proposes a seismic evaluation method based on available experimental data and this study’s numerical analysis. In arriving at the proposed method, four failure modes are considered for strengthened masonry walls. The design relations, linear, and non- linear static analysis parameters according to FEMA reports for each failure mode are also given. The accuracy of the proposed relations and bilinear curves is verified by comparing the results with available experimental and performed analytical results. This study shows that the proposed method is able to accurately predict the failure mode and capacity of the strengthened walls. It should be noted that the need for conducting more extensive experimental research is crucial for better understanding the nonlinear behavior of strengthened masonry walls with RC layer, calibration of the recommendations, and improvement of the precision of the proposed method, especially in predicting the nonlinear deformation capacities.