Influence of The Type of Laying Joint on The Mechanical Behavior of Prisms Made With Ecological Bricks

Abstract

Objective: This paper proposes the study of the influence of laying joints on the mechanical behavior of masonry prisms made with ecological bricks.   Method: To this end, an experimental program was developed including prisms constructed with different types of joints: laying mortar, adhesive mortar and PVA glue (polyvinyl acetate).   Results and Discussion: The adhesive mortar and the conventional mortar were characterized in terms of their compressive strength, obtaining a resistance approximately 1.36 times the compressive strength of the brick (6.92±0.51 MPa), while the settlement was close (0.99%). The average compressive strengths of the prisms were very different, demonstrating that the laying joint has a significant influence on cement-based masonry. It was found that the use of adhesive mortar made it possible to increase the resistance capacity of the prisms to compression by 75%, when compared to prisms made with joints that used PVA glue. However, the laying mortar showed a similar result, at 53%. The rupture mode observed in the prisms made with sticky and conventional mortar was due to traction cracking in the brick units.   Research Implications: In this study, it can be concluded that when using ecological bricks with different types of joints, the thickness and type of mortar can have a significant influence on the final strength of the materials, however thin joints tend to maximize the effects defects and reduce the resistant capacity of these masonries.