Experimental Characterization of the Initial Shear Strength of Composite Masonry including AAC Blocks and DPC Layers

Modern masonry structures, apart from having a load-bearing function, are more and more subjected to additional non-structural requirements related to, e.g., thermal insulation and moisture control. This has respectively led to the introduction of thermal break layers, in practice often executed usi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2021-11, Vol.13 (22), p.12749
Main Authors: Vanheukelom, Martijn, Das, Rajarshi, Degée, Hervé, Vandoren, Bram
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brickwork
Building codes
Clay
Coefficient of friction
Concrete
Concrete blocks
Construction materials
Damp proof courses
Experiments
Friction
Masonry
Mechanical properties
Membranes
Moisture control
Polyethylene
Polyethylenes
Shear modulus
Shear strength
Shear tests
Sustainability
Thermal insulation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Modern masonry structures, apart from having a load-bearing function, are more and more subjected to additional non-structural requirements related to, e.g., thermal insulation and moisture control. This has respectively led to the introduction of thermal break layers, in practice often executed using autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, and damp proof courses (DPC) in masonry walls. These modifications have an impact on the mechanical characteristics of the masonry, such as the shear strength. In this paper, an extensive experimental campaign is therefore conducted on masonry triplets to investigate the initial shear strength of concrete block and clay brick masonry, including AAC blocks. The impact of the the presence of a polyethylene DPC layer is also studied. Moreover, the position of the DPC membrane is varied, i.e., directly on top of the brick (which is generally not recommended yet common in construction practice) and in the middle of the mortar joint. In total, 138 shear tests were performed according to the EN 1052-3 standard, with low to moderate precompression levels. The test results focus on the differences in friction angle, shear modulus, and friction coefficient. It is concluded that the presence of an AAC block decreases the initial shear strength to a value which is lower than the one assumed by Eurocode 6. Moreover, when adding a DPC membrane, the shear strength is reduced even further to almost zero, in particular when the membrane is not put in the middle of the mortar joint.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su132212749