LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND BARRIERS

LABORATORY TESTS
ON WALLS AND PILES OF
Masonry

I. INTRODUCTION

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND PILES

It is conventional to choose the construction of masonry buildings, so it should be taken into account

the design has an adequate cut resistance, which is mainly provided by the

adhesion that is generated between the mortar and the brick.

There are simple techniques to apply that are different from those specified by the manufacturer, which could

improve the adhesion of mortar to brick, which is why this test was developed, where

They analyzed 2 testing techniques through the execution of diagonal compression tests.

made in walls and vertical compression tests on masonry columns, carried out with

type 2 dosing mortar.

II. OBJECTIVES
II.1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
Check the diagonal shear strength of the masonry wall and at the same time calculate the strengths of
the solid handcrafted kin-kong bricks made in the area.
II.2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
III. Make a comparative table with the data adopted by the national building regulations of the E-
070.
Carry out the compression strength test on masonry piles.

III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND PILES

BRICK: It is a piece, in the shape of a rectangular prism; which is used for the construction of various structures.

buildings. It is generally made of clayey soil, mixed with water, molded, dried, and then
fired at high temperature (800 ºC to 1000 ºC).

Bricks are sold by the thousands, stored in stacks not higher than 2.00m.

They are called bricks when they can be handled and laid with one hand, and blocks when due to their weight
Both hands must be used for measurements and dimensions.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND COFFERDAMS

CONFINED MASONRY. Formed by slabs, either lightweight or solid, supported on brick walls, in
elements of reinforced concrete (confinement) have been placed around its perimeter

THE WALLS ARE LOAD-BEARING.

This type of structure is the most commonly used in Peru for the construction of houses and medium-sized buildings.
up to 5 floors, as allowed by the NTE E-070.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND PILES

Masonry is a construction system that results from the stacking of masonry units.
joined together by a mortar forming a monolithic set called WALL.

In the construction process, only through conscious and skilled labor will it be possible to
construction of buildings that meet the desired resistance characteristics Unlike the
CºAº constructions in which the definitive construction operations are concentrated in time and
In space, the construction of masonry elements is a continuous and dispersed process.

WALL: the basic component of masonry is a continuous process.

Functions:

Shape the buildings

Separating the environments and spaces based on their use

Protect users from environmental agents

Structural, roof support and service loads.

FUNDAMENTALS OF DIAGONAL COMPRESSION TESTING

The test to determine the diagonal compressive strength and shear rigidity of walls
Masonry consists of subjecting the specimens to a compression load along one of its diagonals.
(fig. 1). During the test, the vertical load generates increasing tensile stresses that are oriented

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND PILES

perpendicular to the direction of load. This stress field leads to the failure of the wall at
along a roughly vertical crack between the two loaded corners.

IV. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Testing machine
The testing machine can be of any type with sufficient capacity and that can operate at the
application speed of the load specified in section 7.2, without causing impacts or load losses.
The loading machine must meet the requirements of the Peruvian Standard.
Load distribution headers
To distribute the compression load in the corners of the wall, a pair of heads must be used.
sufficiently rigid metal to apply the load evenly. In no case should the heads
cover more than the first course of the wall.

If the length of the wings of the heads is greater than the height of a row, a pair of must be placed
metal angles between the heads and the specimen, with a minimum plate thickness of 9 mm, to distribute the
Diagonal compression load P. The length of the wing angle, a, will be less than the thickness of a layer.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND BARRIERS

Between the test tube and the head, or in its case the steel angle, a layer of plaster with thickness must be placed.
maximum of 5 mm to ensure uniform load distribution during the test.

Device for measuring the shortening and lengthening of the diagonals

To determine the modulus of rigidity in shear, displacement transducers must be used.
about the diagonals of the walls. The calibrated length measured in the horizontal direction should not differ by
more than 5% compared to the calibrated length measured in the vertical direction. The transducers must have a
accuracy of a maximum value of 0.02 mm and must be placed so that the displacement is measured
relative to the calibrated length along the diagonals (elongation and shortening).
A structure like the one shown in fig. 4 can be used, consisting of frames that are fixed to the wall.
The deformation of the diagonals is read using micrometers or electric transducers.
displacement. It is recommended that the device has leveling bars to facilitate its placement and
attachment to the test tube.

To verify the verticality of the compression load, the devices must be placed on both the front face
like in the back of the specimen. The angular deformation of the specimen will be the average of those calculated with
both devices.

V. Preparation of test specimens

Dimensions

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND COLUMNS

The sides of the wall must be equal. If the ratio between the smaller side and the larger one is less than or equal to 0.9,
the test tube must be discarded.

Number of samples
The determination of the diagonal compressive strength and the shear modulus of masonry
it must be done in walls of the same size, built with the same type of pieces, mortar and technique in the
Manufacturing. Each of the above parameters must be determined in at least six walls.
The testing procedure allows for both to be determined through the diagonal compression test.
parameters on the same series of six test specimens.

Healed
After being built, the walls should not be moved for a minimum of seven days. They should be stored.
in a laboratory environment for at least 28 days. The laboratory must be maintained at a temperature of 297 ± 8K
(24 ± 8 ºC).

Cabeceo
Before the test, the corners of the compression diagonal of the walls should be capped with sulfur or another material.
material that facilitates the uniform distribution of the load and whose compressive strength is adequate according to the
expected resistance of the walls.

Mortar
The mortar used in the construction of the walls must be sampled according to the RNE. It must be prepared.
three mortar cubes from a sample obtained from each mortar bowl used to make the test specimens.
The cubes will be stored and cured under the same conditions as the test specimens to which they are associated.
The cube testing must be carried out in accordance with the RNE, on the same day that the test specimens are tested.
The results of these tests must be included in the test report, following the instructions of the
RNE.

V. TEST PROCEDURE
Placement of the test tube
To do this, the guidelines in the Peruvian Standard E070 will be followed. Care should be taken in the transportation of the

test tube to the testing machine; it must be considered the convenience of strapping it to avoid damage to it
during its transportation. The tests must be carried out 28 days after the manufacture of the specimens.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON BRICK WALLS AND MASONRY WALLS

Application speed of the load

The load must be applied with a uniform and continuous velocity, without causing impact or loss of load. The
The loading speed must be within the range of 1.6 to 3.2 kPa/s (1.0 to 2.0 kgf/cm2/min). A allowance is permitted
greater speed during the application of the first half of the maximum expected load as long as
during the second, maintain the specified speed. Manually operated machines can be used or
motorized vehicles that allow compliance with the above, keeping in mind that adjustments should not be made in the
controls of motor-operated test machines, nor try to increase or decrease the speed of
loading application in the manuals, near the failure load of the wall.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND PILES

Determination of shear stiffness

For the determination of shear rigidity, the ambient temperature and humidity must be kept as
as constant as possible during the test. Any fluctuation of these must be recorded in the report.
variables.
Before conducting the test to determine shear stiffness, the compressive strength must be determined.
diagonal of walls made with materials from the same sample.
Each test tube must be placed with the measuring equipment in the head over the lower plate or support block.
from the test machine. The test specimen's axis must also be carefully aligned with the center of the clevis
and record the initial reading of the unloaded deformeters. The upper plate must lower slowly until
It sits evenly on the head.
To determine the shear stiffness, the following procedure should be followed:
a) Apply the load in a uniform and continuous manner.
b) Take a sufficient number of displacement readings (elongation and shortening) and load readings.
so that the shear stress (τ1) can be defined using interpolation or graphically
corresponding to an angular deformation of 0.00005, as well as the angular deformation
corresponding to 40% of the maximum shear stress ( 2). If the stress curve is to be obtained
Angular shear deformation is advisable to take a larger number of readings. It should not be
interrupt the loading at any moment.

Application of the load

The load should be applied until the resistance of the samples is reached, recording it. It is considered necessary.
take the samples to failure, noting the type and appearance of the masonry. The use of should be considered
drawings to facilitate the description of the failure, and if used, they must be included in the test report
(section 9, item i). It is recommended to use a bubble level in order to ensure that the load is
effectively axial during the test and avoids flexural-compression effects.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND BARRIERS

Protection of operators and waste management

Safety devices must be placed on the testing machine to prevent harm to operators during the
failure of the test tube; the use of leather gloves and steel-toed boots will be mandatory. There is no
special procedure for the handling of battery testing waste; however, it is suggested to use them
as fill material.
The failure occurs due to the low resistivity of the handmade brick.

VI. CALCULATIONS AND RESULTS

Diagonal compressive strength

The diagonal compressive strength of the wall should be calculated by dividing the maximum load by the area.
brute of the wall measured before the test on the diagonal under compression. This area is obtained as the
product of the thickness of the wall, t, and the length of the compression diagonal, Lc, measured before the test
The result of the test should be expressed with an approximation of 10 kPa (0.1 kgf/cm2).

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND RETAINING WALLS

DIAGONAL COMPRESSION IN WALLS

show Date of Date L1 L2 Loading Area
D e Resistance
a elaboration of (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm2 a a
ón essay ) kg kg/cm²
M1 09.06.14 86 11.2 963. 5000 5.2
4 2

VIII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

For the diagonal compression resistance, the results log must include the following data:
a) Identification key of the test tube.
b) Type and origin of the pieces used in the manufacturing of the test tube.
c) Nominal age of the specimen.
d) Dimensions of the specimen in centimeters, rounded to millimeters.
e) Area of the diagonal to compression, in square centimeters, rounded to the tenth.

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 LABORATORY TESTS ON MASONRY WALLS AND BRICK WALLS

f) Maximum load in Newtons (kilograms force).

g) Compressive strength, calculated with an approximation of 10 kPa (0.1 kgf/cm2).
h) Description of the failure.
i) Defects observed in the specimen or in its heads.

IX. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE

Masonry Constructions. San Bartolomé.
Norm E.070 'Masonry' and Comments

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