Composites made of fibers embedded in organic or inorganic matrices are efficient
systems for reinforcing historical masonry structures to provide strength and ductility with
a negligible mass increment. As it is well known, the structural performance of the composites
mainly relies on their adhesion to the substrate. There are different methods to test
the adhesion of the composite to the substrate: in laboratory direct shear test is the
most commonly employed, while on-site the bond between the reinforcement and the
substrate is checked by the pull-off test. In this paper, the adhesion of different composites
to the same substrate made of fired-clay bricks is investigated by both the shear test and the
pull-off test to qualitatively assess the difference in the two methods. Additionally, to
investigate whether the bond is affected by the presence of water in the pores, half of the
specimens were tested in water saturated conditions. Three different types of matrix (based
on epoxy resin, natural hydraulic lime and Portland cement) were used for the composite
matrix, without changing the geometry, the type of masonry substrate and the fibers
(galvanized steel cords)
