Enhancement of Characteristic Strength and Urability of Brick Masonry

Abstract

Enhancement Of Characteristic Strength And Urability Of Brick Masonry Durability and strength of bond between the mortar and brick of 1,296 briefer mortar units have been studied. The materials used Included flivs different makes of brick and two different mortars. Alternate freezing and thawing of moisture-saturated units 50 times followed bv drying constituted the tetta for bond durability.

Strength of bond was determined after storage of other units for six months under three different conditions. Bond durability WB 100 per cent by loading the units during weathering tests. The factors- pres- sure on the mortar joint, type of mortar used, degree of wetting the brick, and apparent shrinkage of mortar—were of more importance relatively in their effect upon bond strength or durability than properties of the brick themselves

Conclusion

The above data indicate that failure of bond between mortar and brick, under the conditions described, was not due to disintegration of either brick or mortar. Dense impervious brick which absorb water very slowly can be bonded satisfactorily with mortar.Under the same or nearly the same conditions, the strength of bond attained by using relatively porous brick tended to be slightly greater than that characteristic of units formed with relatively impervious brick.