Assessing Mechanical Properties of Concrete Block Masonry under Uniaxial Compression for Design Applications
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper presents the details of experimental testing of masonry prisms, which were tested in compression. The experimental program consisted of prisms made with hollow and solid blocks of thickness 100 and 150 mm. Five different proportions of mortars were employed in the casting of these prisms, which included 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, and 1:6 by weight. Three prisms were cast and tested using each of these mortar types for each block type. It was found that the failure modes and compressive behaviors of the prisms were not significantly influenced by the mortar types, although these were different for the prisms made of solid and hollow blocks. The deformation behaviors of the prisms in the postpeak region were also different for these block types. The compressive strength of the prisms () varied with the block strength and was not dependent on the block type. All the prisms exhibited typical behaviors of uniaxially compressed prismatic members. An average elastic modulus of 1,720 was found for the tested prisms, while Poisson’s ratio varied from 0.10 to 0.15. Analytical models for estimating and strain corresponding to have been proposed for design practice. A new constitutive equation for capturing the falling branch of the stress–strain curve of block masonry prisms has also been proposed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support the Higher Education Commission provided for this project under National Research Program for Universities (NRPU). Help from all the laboratory technical staff members is also acknowledged.
References
Abaza, O. A., and A. A. Salameh. 2003. “The effect of capping condition on the compressive strength of concrete hollow blocks.” An-Najah Univ. J. Res. 17 (1): 76. https://doi.org/10.35552/anujr.a.17.1.646.
Adams, C., and J. G. Beese. 1974. “Empirical equations for describing the strain-hardening characteristics of metal subjected to moderate strains.” J. Eng. Mater. Technol. 96 (2): 123–126. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3443193.
Álvarez-Pérez, J., J. H. Chávez-Gómez, B. T. Terán-Torres, M. Mesa-Lavista, and R. Balandrano-Vázquez. 2020. “Multifactorial behavior of the elastic modulus and compressive strength in masonry prisms of hollow concrete blocks.” Constr. Build. Mater. 241 (Apr): 118002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118002.
AS (Australian Standard). 2001. Committee BD-004. Masonry structures. AS 3700-2001. Sydney, NSW, Australia: AS.
ASTM. 1985. Standard test method for tensile strength of hydraulic cement mortars. ASTM C190-85. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 1997. Test method for bulk density (“unit weight”) and voids in aggregate. ASTM C-29/C. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2001. Test method for density, relative density (specific gravity) and absorption of fine aggregate. ASTM C-128. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2002. Standard practice for making and curing concrete test specimens in the laboratory. ASTM C192/C192M-02. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2003. Standard test method for compressive strength of cylindrical concrete specimens. ASTM C39/C39M-03. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2004. Standard specification for Portland cement. ASTM C150-04. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2011a. Standard test method for splitting tensile strength of cylindrical concrete specimens. ASTM C496/C496M-11. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2011b. Standard practice for capping cylindrical concrete specimens. ASTM C617-10. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2014. Standard test method for static modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of concrete in compression. ASTM C469/C469M-14. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2016. Standard specification for concrete aggregates. ASTM C33/C33M-16. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
ASTM. 2021. Standard test method for compressive strength of masonry prisms. ASTM C1314-21. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
Barattucci, S., V. Sarhosis, A. W. Bruno, A. M. D’Altri, S. de Miranda, and G. Castellazzi. 2020. “An experimental and numerical study on masonry triplets subjected to monotonic and cyclic shear loadings.” Constr. Build. Mater. 254 (Sep): 119313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119313.
Barbosa, C. S., P. B. Lourenco, and J. B. Hanai. 2010. “On the compressive strength prediction for concrete masonry prisms.” Mater. Struct. 43 (Apr): 331–344. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-009-9492-0.
BSI (British Standards Institution). 1995. Code of practice for use of masonry - Part 2: Structural use of reinforced and prestressed masonry. BS 5628-2:1995. London: BSI.
Caldeira, F. E., G. H. Nalon, D. S. de Oliveira, L. G. Pedroti, J. C. L. Ribeiro, F. A. Ferreira, and J. M. F. de Carvalho. 2020. “Influence of joint thickness and strength of mortars on the compressive behavior of prisms made of normal and high strength concrete blocks.” Constr. Build. Mater. 234 (Feb): 117419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117419.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). 2004. Design of concrete structures - Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings. Eurocode 2. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). 2005. Design of masonry structures - Part 1-1: General rules for reinforced and unreinforced masonry structures. Eurocode 6 (EC6): EN 1996-1-1. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
Cheema, T. S., and R. E. Klingner. 1986. “Compressive strength of masonry prisms.” ACI J. 83 (1): 88–97. https://doi.org/10.14359/1752.
CSA (Canadian Standards Association). 2010. Design of masonry structures. S304.1:2004. Rexdale, ON, Canada: CSA.
Dhanasekar, M., R. E. Loov, D. McCullough, and N. G. Shrive. 1997. “Stress-strain relations for hollow concrete masonry under cyclic compression.” In Proc., 11th Int. Brick/Block Masonry Conf., 1269–1278. Beijing: China Association for Engineering Construction Standardization.
Dhanasekar, M., and N. G. Shrive. 2002. “Strength and deformation of confined and unconfined grouted concrete masonry.” ACI Struct. J. 99 (6): 819–826. https://doi.org/10.14359/12347.
Drysdale, R. G., and A. A. Hamid. 2008. Masonry structures behavior and design. 3rd ed. Boulder, CO: Masonry Society.
Fonseca, F. S., E. S. Fortes, G. A. Parsekian, and J. S. Camacho. 2019. “Compressive strength of high-strength concrete masonry grouted prisms.” Constr. Build. Mater. 202 (Mar): 861–876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.01.037.
Fortes, E. S., G. A. Parsekian, and F. S. Fonseca. 2015. “Relationship between the compressive strength of concrete masonry and the compressive strength of concrete masonry units.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 27 (9): 04014238. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001204.
Garzón-Roca, J., C. Obrer, and J. M. Adam. 2013. “Compressive strength of masonry made of clay bricks and cement mortar: Estimation based on neural networks and fuzzy logic.” Eng. Struct. 48 (Mar): 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.09.029.
Grimm, C. T., and C.-P. Fok. 1984. Brick masonry compressive strength at first crack. Masonry international, 18–23. Stoke-on-Trent, UK: The British Masonry Society.
Gusmaste, K. S., K. S. N. Rao, B. V. V. Readdy, and K. S. Jagadish. 2007. “Strength and elasticity of brick masonry prisms and wallettes under compression.” Mater. Struct. 40 (2): 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-006-9141-9.
Haach, V. G., G. Vasconcelos, and P. B. Lourenço. 2014. “Assessment of compressive behavior of concrete masonry prisms partially filled by general mortar.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 26 (10): 04014068. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000956.
Hamid, A. A., and A. O. Chuckwunenye. 1986. “Compression behavior of concrete masonry prisms.” J. Struct. Eng. 112 (3): 605–613. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1986)112:3(605).
Kaushik, H. B., D. C. Rai, and S. K. Jain. 2007. “Stress-strain characteristics of clay brick masonry under uniaxial compression.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 19 (9): 728–739. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2007)19:9(728).
Kent, D. C., and R. Park. 1971. “Flexural members with confined concrete.” J. Struct. Div. 97 (7): 1969–1990. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0002957.
Khalaf, F. M., A. W. Hendry, and D. R. Fairbairn. 1992. “Elastic modulus and strength of hollow concrete block masonry with reference to the effect of lateral ties.” Mag. Concr. Res. 44 (160): 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1680/macr.1992.44.160.185.
Khalaf, F. M., A. W. Hendry, and D. R. Fairbairn. 1994. “Study of the compressive strength of blockwork masonry.” ACI Struct. J. 91 (4): 367–374. https://doi.org/10.14359/4139.
Knutsson, H. H. 1993. “The stress–strain relationship for masonry.” Masonry Int. 7 (1): 31–33.
Köksal, H. O., C. Karakoç, and H. Yildirim. 2003. “Compressive strength of concrete hollow-block prisms.” Studi e Ricerche 24: 189–205.
Köksal, H. O., C. Karakoç, and H. Yildirim. 2005. “Compression behavior and failure mechanisms of concrete masonry prisms.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 17 (1): 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2005)17:1(107).
Krishna, A. G. 2018. “Strength study on reinforced hollow concrete block masonry.” Int. J. Appl. Eng. Res. 13 (7): 270–273.
Kumar, M., M. Haider, and S. H. Lodi. 2016. “Response of low-quality solid concrete block infilled frames.” Struct. Build. 169 (9): 669–687. https://doi.org/10.1680/jstbu.15.00068.
Kumavat, H. R. 2016. “An experimental investigation of mechanical properties in clay brick masonry by partial replacement of fine aggregate with clay brick waste.” J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 97 (Sep): 199–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-016-0178-7.
Liu, J. 2012. “The effect of height-to-thickness ratio on the compressive strength of concrete masonry.” Masters thesis, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Windsor.
Lumantarna, R., D. T. Biggs, and J. M. Ingham. 2014. “Uniaxial compressive strength and stiffness of field-extracted and laboratory-constructed masonry prisms.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 26 (4): 567–575. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000731.
Maher, A., and D. Darwin. 1982. “Mortar constituent of concrete in compression.” ACI J. 79 (2): 100–109. https://doi.org/10.14359/10885.
Martins, R. O. G., G. H. Nalon, R. C. S. S. Alvarenga, L. G. Pedroti, and J. C. L. Ribeiro. 2018. “Influence of blocks and grout on compressive strength and stiffness of concrete masonry prisms.” Constr. Build. Mater. 182 (Sep): 233–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.06.091.
Mohamad, G. 2007. “Mechanism failure of concrete block masonry under compression.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Minho, Guimaraes.
Mohamad, G., F. S. Fonseca, A. T. Vermenltfoort, D. R. W. Martens, and P. B. Lourenco. 2017. “Strength behavior, and failure mode of hollow concrete masonry constructed with mortars of different strengths.” Constr. Build. Mater. 134 (Mar): 489–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.12.112.
Mohamad, G., P. B. Lourenco, and H. R. Roman. 2007. “Mechanics of hollow concrete block masonry prisms under compression: Review and prospects.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 29 (3): 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2006.11.003.
NZS (New Zealand Standard). 2004. Design of reinforced concrete masonry structures. Wellington, New Zealand: NZS.
Ouyang, J., F. Wu, W. Lu, H. Huang, and X. Zhou. 2019. “Prediction of compressive stress-strain curves of grouted masonry.” Constr. Build. Mater. 229 (Dec): 116826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116826.
Page, A. W., and P. W. Kleeman. 1991. “The influence of capping material and platen restraint on the failure of hollow masonry units and prisms.” In Proc., Ninth Int. Brick/Block Mason Conf., 662–670. Berlin: German Society for Masonry Construction.
Paulay, T., and M. J. N. Priestley. 1992. Seismic design of reinforced concrete and masonry buildings. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
Popovics, S. 1973. “A numerical approach to the complete stress-strain curve of concrete.” Cem. Concr. Res. 3 (5): 583–599. https://doi.org/10.1016/0008-8846(73)90096-3.
Porto, F., F. Mosele, and C. Modena. 2011. “Compressive behavior of a new reinforced masonry system.” Mater. Struct. 44 (Apr): 565–581. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-010-9649-x.
Priestley, M. J. N., and D. M. Elder. 1983. “Stress-strain curves for unconfined and confined concrete masonry.” ACI J. 80 (3): 192–201. https://doi.org/10.14359/10834.
Ramamurthy, K., V. Sathish, and R. Ambalavanan. 2000. “Compressive strength prediction of hollow concrete block masonry prisms.” ACI Struct. J. 97 (1): 61–67. https://doi.org/10.14359/834.
Sarhat, S. R., and E. G. Sherwood. 2014. “The prediction of compressive strength of ungrouted hollow concrete block masonry.” Constr. Build. Mater. 58 (May): 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.01.025.
Sawko, F., and M. A. Rouf. 1984. “On the stiffness properties of masonry.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., Part 2. Res. Theory 77 (1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1680/iicep.1984.1267.
Sementsov, S. A., and V. A. A. Kameio. 1971. Designer’s manual: Masonry, including reinforced masonry in industrial, residential and communal buildings and structures. Springfield, VA: Israel Program for Scientific Translation.
Tanner, J. E., and R. E. Klingner. 2017. Masonry structural design, 119–120. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Thamboo, J. A., and M. Dhanasekar. 2016. “Behaviour of thin layer mortared concrete masonry under combined shear and compression.” Aust. J. Struct. Eng. 17 (Jan): 39–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/13287982.2015.1116181.
Thamboo, J. A., and M. Dhanasekar. 2019. “Correlation between the performance of solid masonry prisms and wallettes under compression.” J. Build. Eng. 22 (Mar): 429–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.01.007.
The Masonry Society. 2016. Building code requirements and specification for masonry structures 2016. TMS Committee 402/602. Longmont, CO: The Masonry Society.
Towfik, S. M. 1989. “Textural and mineralogical study of Malir River sands, Karachi.” M.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Geology, Univ. of Karachi.
Turnsek, V., and F. Cacovic. 1971. “Some experimental of the strength of brick masonry walls.” In Proc., Second Brick Masonry Conf., 149–156. Penkhull, UK: British Ceramic Research Association.
Watstein, D. 1971. “The relation of unrestrained compressive strength of brick to strength of masonry.” J. Mater. 6 (2): 304–319.
Zahra, T., and M. Dhanasekar. 2016. “Prediction of masonry compressive behaviour using a damage mechanics inspired modelling method.” Constr. Build. Mater. 109 (Apr): 128–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.01.048.
Zahra, T., and M. Dhanasekar. 2018. “Characterisation and strategies for mitigation of the contact surface unevenness in dry-stack masonry.” Constr. Build. Mater. 169 (Apr): 612–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.002.
Zahra, T., J. Thamboo, and M. Asad. 2021. “Compressive strength and deformation characteristics of concrete block masonry made with different mortars, blocks and mortar beddings types.” J. Build. Eng. 38 (Jun): 102213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102213.
Zhou, Q., F. Wang, F. Zhu, and X. Yang. 2017. “Stress–strain model for hollow concrete block masonry under uniaxial compression.” Mater. Struct. 50 (Apr): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-016-0975-5.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 4 • April 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 7, 2023
Accepted: Sep 8, 2023
Published online: Jan 19, 2024
Published in print: Apr 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jun 19, 2024
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.