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The effects of pre and post construction moisture condition on the in-plane and out-of-plane strengths of brick walls

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Abstract

An important factor affecting the strength of a masonry wall is the capacity of the bond between the mortar and the bricks to transfer the loads within the wall. The main parameter influencing the bond strength is the moisture content of the brick units and the consistency of mortar paste at the time of construction. Another important, but little known, factor is the post-construction moisture curing of the wall. In this paper, the results of a series of standard tests, aimed at determining the effects of moisture condition on the flexural strength, direct tensile bond strength, shear bond strength, compressive strength and diagonal shear strength of brick masonry are presented. The results indicate a substantial increase in the bond strength when saturated, surface dry, brick units are used and show the favorable effects of post-construction water curing of brickwork. Also, in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending tests are carried out on a number of brick wallets and infills, constructed with different pre and post construction moisture conditions and results are compared to drive at quantitative conclusions on the effects of pre-wetting the brick units at the time of construction and post-construction moisture curing on the behavior and strength properties of brick wall construction.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support provided for the work presented here by the Researchers’ Support Fund of Iran under Grant No. 84/3477.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Mahmoud R. Maheri, F. Motielahi & M. A. Najafgholipour

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  1. Mahmoud R. Maheri
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  2. F. Motielahi
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  3. M. A. Najafgholipour
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Correspondence to Mahmoud R. Maheri.

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Maheri, M.R., Motielahi, F. & Najafgholipour, M.A. The effects of pre and post construction moisture condition on the in-plane and out-of-plane strengths of brick walls. Mater Struct 44, 541–559 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-010-9648-y

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