THIN LAYER CONCRETE BLOCKWORK IN FLEXURE

The adhesion between polymer modified mortars and concrete block masonry was examined to determine any enhancement to the bond. A test programme was undertaken to evaluate this trend. Two concrete block types and one thin layer mortar type were used to build wall panels which were then tested to failure. The results showed that both the mortar properties and the constituents of the parent material forming the block alter the joint strength, resulting in enhancements to flexural tensile bond strength. The transverse lateral load capacity of masonry built using solid dense concrete blocks with thin joint mortar is up to 3.5 times that of similar blockwork constructed using conventional mortar. This means that when thin joint technology is used, in conjunction with solid dense concrete blocks, the masonry behaves more as a concrete plate than conventional blockwork. Graphs plotted from the test data reveal a bi-linear relationship between the load and displacement, from initial application of the load until failure

Investigation of the behaviour of laterally loaded thin-jointed concrete-block masonry panels

This masonry research investigated the structural response of masonry wall panels when subjected to static lateral loads. The lateral load capacity and deformational characteristics of two full-scale wall panels, constructed with dense concrete blocks and laid in thin joint mortar of 3 mm thickness, have been studied experimentally and with numerical models. Linear elastic equations have been employed to predict the distribution of moments and failure load of the panels. The necessary material properties were determined from a series of small scale tests involving a total of 24 wallettes. The wallettes were built and tested in accordance with the British Standards recommendations as outlined in BS 5628: Part 1, and complied with the European code, EN 1996-1-1. The research found that, when subjected to lateral loads, concrete block masonry built using thin layer mortar behaves as a homogeneous elastic plate and fail in a brittle manner. Recommendations on the application of elastic theory concepts as the basis for development of material constitutive laws have been made based on the fact that linear elastic equations have been tested against experimental data and found to be valid