Investigation of material properties of masonry units used in brick walls

Walls are used as load-bearing wall and partition wall in structures systems. In masonry structures, the walls are carriers. Load-bearing walls carry loads such as beams, columns, foundations and slabs. In some structures systems, walls are used only to separate spaces without carriers. In masonry structures where the walls are carriers, the masonry unit and the mortar unit are very important. If the properties of these two units are known correctly, the properties of the load-bearing wall can be estimated approximately. In this study, the studies that determine the material properties of the brick unit (compressive strength, dimensions, water absorption percentage and unit volume mass) experimentally will be examined in detail. An evaluation will be made between the studies for the change of each material properties. The relationship of different material properties with each other will also be studied

Investigation and assessment of joint mortar mixing ratios used in masonry structures

Masonry structures are brittle structures due to the materials that make up it. This causes the masonry structures to collapse suddenly when exposed to earthquake etc. forces. When the damages seen in masonry structures are examined, it will be seen that the damages mostly originate from masonry unit, joint mortar unit and carrier system. In order to minimize these damages, the properties of the units used to form the masonry structure should be well known. In this study, joint mortar unit used to connect the masonry units to each other and to ensure the interlocking of the system was examined. The factors affecting the joint mortar unit are; joint thickness, mortar material properties, mortar mixing ratios and workmanship. Mortar mixing ratios of these factors were investigated in detail. Cement: lime: sand: water ratios frequently used in experimental studies were determined. Findings obtained as a result of the researches were evaluated

Investigation and assessment of joint mortar mixing ratios used in masonry structures

Masonry structures are brittle structures due to the materials that make up it. This causes the masonry structures to collapse suddenly when exposed to earthquake etc. forces. When the damages seen in masonry structures are examined, it will be seen that the damages mostly originate from masonry unit, joint mortar unit and carrier system. In order to minimize these damages, the properties of the units used to form the masonry structure should be well known. In this study, joint mortar unit used to connect the masonry units to each other and to ensure the interlocking of the system was examined. The factors affecting the joint mortar unit are; joint thickness, mortar material properties, mortar mixing ratios and workmanship. Mortar mixing ratios of these factors were investigated in detail. Cement: lime: sand: water ratios frequently used in experimental studies were determined. Findings obtained as a result of the researches were evaluated

The effect of using steel fiber in joint mortar on the failure behavior of masonry walls

Masonry structures are the structural system in which the walls are carrier. These structures have a brittle behavior due to the materials that make them up. For this reason, masonry structures/walls exhibit a sudden fracture/collapse behavior under lateral loads such as earthquakes. Due to this behavior, many masonry structures have collapsed from the past to the present under earthquakes and, accordingly, loss of life and property has been experienced. This situation reduced the confidence in masonry structures and thus the interest in constructing masonry structures gradually decreased. In this study, micro steel fibers were used in joint mortar to reduce the brittleness of masonry structures or to delay their sudden collapse. Within the scope of the study, diagonal compression test was applied to the masonry walls produced in stretcher bond type in about 610 x 610 x 90 mm dimensions using solid clay bricks as masonry unit and, reference mortar (mortar without steel fiber reinforce) and micro steel fiber reinforced mortar (mortar with 1%, 2% and 3% steel fiber reinforced) as joint mortar (thickness 20 mm). As a result of the tests, the behavior of masonry walls was compared with each other in terms of crack shapes and collapse patterns. At the end of the study, it was determined that masonry walls formed with mortars containing micro steel fiber behave better than masonry walls formed with reference mortar

Development of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression after open globe injury in adults

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after open globe injury in adults. Methods A total of 95 participants, 43 adult patients with open globe injury and 52 age-sex similar subjects (control group), were included in this cross-sectional study. Age, gender, education level, occupation, accident history, psychiatric history, trauma type, cause of trauma, and visual acuity were recorded. One to six months after trauma, PTSD and depression symptoms of the participants were evaluated with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire-Civil Version Scale (PTSD-S) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. Results Patients with open globe injury had a higher PTSD-S total score than the control group, but not significant (23.67 +/- 20.41 vs. 18.56 +/- 13.13, p = 0.580). Patients with eye trauma exhibited a much higher prevalence of PTSD compared to the control group (20.9% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.010). Patients with trauma had a significantly higher BDI total score than the control group (12.47 +/- 10.08 vs. 7.69 +/- 6.10, p = 0.015). Also, patients had a higher rate of depression symptoms than controls (25.6% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.017). A significant positive correlation was observed between PTSD-S and BDI scores in the trauma group (r = 0.720, p < 0.001). Conclusion An increased prevalence of PTSD and depression was observed in adults after open globe injury. The significant relationship between PTSD-S and BDI scores indicates that patients with open globe injuries should be questioned in terms of both symptoms. For patients with open globe trauma, a holistic approach with psychosocial assessment in addition to physical intervention would be beneficial

Association between ocular trauma and attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adult patients

Purpose: To investigate the potential relationship between ocular trauma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related clinical outcomes in adults. Methods: This prospective case-control study included 108 ocular trauma patients and 90 age-sex-matched healthy control. The ocular trauma group was separated into the subgroups home accident, outdoor activity, and work related in terms of the reasons for ocular trauma, and as ocular surface problems, blunt trauma-related, and open globe injury in terms of the clinical findings. The ADHD-related clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Wender-Utah Rating Scale (WURS). The outcomes were compared between ocular trauma and control groups, and ocular trauma subgroups. Results: The demographic characteristics of ocular trauma groups and controls were similar (P > 0.05, for all). In comparison to the control group, the ocular trauma group had higher total WURS score and WURS subscale scores, but not significantly (P > 0.05, for all). According to comparisons of the subgroups separated by the reasons, there was significant difference in the mean behavioral problems/impulsivity scores in favor of outdoor activities (P = 0.015). On the other hand, the mean scores for WURS subscales of the subgroups separated by the clinical findings were similar (P > 0.05, for all). Conclusion: WURS scores in ocular trauma patients are similar to control; however, the score in behavioral problems/impulsivity subscales is higher for ocular trauma caused by outdoor activities