Influence of mechanical properties of lime mortar on the strength of masonry

Abstract eng:
This paper aims at improving the quality of lime mortar masonry by understanding the mechanics of mortars and masonry and their interactions. It investigates how the mortar’s compressive and flexural strengths and elastic moduli, impact the compressive and bond strength of clay brick masonry bound with calcium lime (CL) and natural hydraulic lime (NHL) mortars. It concludes that the strength of the bond, rather than the mortar’s strength, determines the compressive strength of masonry, which increases proportionally to the strength of the bond with linear relationships up to 6 months. It was noted that low-strengthmortar masonry (CL90) with a good bond is stronger than that built with stronger mortar and a poorer bond. Finally, the mechanics of lime mortars and their masonry are similar. The predominantly elastic behaviour of the higher hydraulic strength mortars compares well with the elastic and brittle behaviour of their masonry, with either little (NHL2) or non existent plasticity (NHL3.5 and 5); in contrast, CL90 mortar and masonry exhibit a plastic behaviour.

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