Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strength and elasticity of brick masonry prisms and wallettes under compression

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The characteristics of brick masonry are influenced by the properties of bricks and mortar. This paper attempts at studying the properties of brick masonry using table moulded bricks and wire-cut bricks of India with various types of mortars. The strength and elastic modulus of brick masonry under compression have been evaluated for strong-brick soft-mortar and soft-brick strong-mortar combinations. Various sizes of prisms and wallettes have been tested during these experiments to study the size effect and different bonding arrangements. The failure mechanisms of such specimens have been studied. Attempts are also made to derive empirical relationships for masonry strength as a function of brick and mortar strength in the Indian context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hendry AW (1998) Structural masonry. Macmillan Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lenczner D (1972) Elements of load bearing brickwork. Pergamon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  3. Matthana MHS (1996) Strength of brick masonry and masonry walls with openings. Ph D thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

  4. Sarangapani G, Venkatarama Reddy BV, Jagadish KS (2005) Brick–mortar bond and masonry compressive strength. J Mater Civil Eng (ASCE) 17(2):229–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Raghunath S, Jagadish KS (1998) Strength and elasticity of bricks in India. Workshop on Recent Advances in Masonry Construction: WRAMC-98, Roorkee, India:141–150

  6. Gumaste KS, Venkatarama Reddy BV, Nanjunda Rao KS, Jagadish KS (2004) Properties of burnt bricks and mortars in India. Masonry Int 17(2):45–52

    Google Scholar 

  7. Varghese PC, Ashok Kumar (1965) Results of some tests on ultimate strength of brick piers made from hand moulded bricks. J Institut Eng (India) Civil Eng Div 46(3 Part CI4):381–390

  8. Dayaratnam P, Ranganathan R, Mukhopadhyay, Dasgupta N (1981) Experimental investigation on behaviour of brick and reinforced brickwork. Report N0. DST/427/3, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

  9. Elangonmani C (1983) Compressive strength of brick masonry walls from prism tests. M.E. Dissertation, Department of Applied Mechanics and Structural Engineering, Annamalai University

  10. Bhandari NM (1982) Strength of low-rise brick masonry construction. PhD thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Roorkee, Roorkee, India

  11. IS: 1905 – 1987 Code of practice for structural use of unreinforced masonry. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India

  12. BS 5628- 1978, Code of practice for structural use of masonry, British Standards Institution

  13. IS: 8112 – 1989, Specification for 43 grade ordinary portland cement, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India

  14. IS: 2116 – 1980, Specification for sand for masonry mortars, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India

  15. Hilsdorf HK (1969) An investigation into the failure mechanisms of brick masonry loaded in axial compression. In: Johnson FB (ed) Designing, Engineering and Constructing with Masonry Products, Gulf Pub. Company, Houston, Tex., pp 34 –41

  16. Francis AJ, Horman AJ, Jerrems (1971) The effect of joint thickness and other factors on the compressive strength of brickwork. In: West HWH, Speed KH (eds) Proc. of the Second International Brick Masonry Conference, British Ceramic Research Association, Stoke-on-Trent., pp 31–37

  17. Atkinson RH, Noland JL, Abrams DP (1982) A deformation theory for stack bonded masonry prisms in compression. In: Proceedings of the Seventh International Brick Masonry Conference (Melbourne)

  18. Scot McNary W, Daniel P Abrams (1985) Mechanics of masonry in compression. J Struct Eng (ASCE) 111(4): 857–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gumaste KS (2004) Studies on strength and elasticity of brick masonry walls. PhD thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

  20. Sridhar Babu D (1986) Strength of soil-cement block masonry. M.E. Project Report, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

  21. Raghunath S (2003) Static and dynamic behaviour of brick masonry with containment reinforcement. Ph D thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

  22. Hendry AW, Malek MH (1986) Characteristic compressive strength of brickwork from collected test results. Masonry Int 7:15–24

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India

    K. S. Gumaste, K. S. Nanjunda Rao, B. V. Venkatarama Reddy & K. S. Jagadish

Authors
  1. K. S. Gumaste
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. S. Nanjunda Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. V. Venkatarama Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. S. Jagadish
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. S. Nanjunda Rao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gumaste, K.S., Nanjunda Rao, K.S., Venkatarama Reddy, B.V. et al. Strength and elasticity of brick masonry prisms and wallettes under compression. Mater Struct 40, 241–253 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-006-9141-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-006-9141-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation