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Recent research have highlighted the potential of hybrid confinement, combining high tensile strength fiber-reinforced polymers with large rupture strain confinement. This study presents experimental findings on 64 cylindrical and square-shaped specimens tested under axial compression, introducing a novel hybrid confinement method utilizing low-cost fiberglass chopped strand mat sheets and cotton ropes (COFS confinement). The experimental and analytical results yielded several key conclusions. Firstly, circular specimens exhibited significant peak strength increases in various subgroups, with enhancements ranging from 97.5 % to 285.5 %, and ultimate strain improvements ranging from 588.6 % to 1650.0 %. Similarly, square specimens under COFS confinement also demonstrated notable enhancements in ultimate strength and strain, with increases up to 244.7 % and 1083.0 %, respectively, particularly evident with higher levels of confinement. The influence of cross-sectional shape on compressive strength, strain, and energy dissipation was noted, with COFS confinement notably improving these factors for circular sections. Additionally, the study found that as the unconfined compressive strength increased, the enhancement in compressive strength, ultimate strain, and energy dissipation decreased. Moreover, the confinement ratio positively affected axial behavior improvement, with a proportional enhancement observed. However, the efficacy of the confinement ratio was influenced by cross-section type and plain concrete strength, emphasizing the need for considering these factors in COFS-based confinement design. Lastly, an analytical design-oriented model proposed for approximating stress vs. strain curves of COFS-confined concrete showed close agreement with experimental results, providing valuable insights for future design considerations.

This study presents an innovative approach to enhance the flexural capacity of cement-clay interlocking (CCI) brick walls using ferrocement jackets with an expanded wire mesh. The investigation involved 15 CCI brick walls subjected to flexural load testing, exploring various mesh sizes and anchor configurations on single and dual sides. The results revealed that while the primary failure mode involved dry joint opening and subsequent ferrocement debonding in the strengthened walls, effective anchorage mechanisms delayed dry joint opening until debonding occurred. The reinforced walls exhibited improved peak load capacity, notably in dual-sided reinforcement cases. With plastering on both sides and supplemented with anchors, an improvement of up to 221% in flexural capacity was obtained. The study emphasizes the influence of wire mesh size on anchorage effectiveness and its correlation with debonding susceptibility. Additionally, the moment-curvature analysis demonstrated resilient, ductile responses in load-bearing characteristics, with occasional abrupt declines due to ferrocement jacket debonding. Unlike control walls, the strengthened walls exhibited strains exceeding yield thresholds, indicating enhanced structural performance.