Experimental Behavior of Thin-Tile Masonry under Uniaxial Compression. Multi-Leaf Case Study.

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Masonry structures are common building components.
• Understanding the compressive strength of thin-tile masonry is crucial for structural integrity.
• Existing literature primarily focuses on brick masonry, with limited data on multi-leaf thin-tile systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally determine the compressive strength of multi-leaf thin-tile masonry.
• To compare the behavior of thin-tile masonry with traditional brick masonry.
• To evaluate the applicability of existing compressive strength equations to thin-tile masonry.

Main Methods:

• Performed compressive strength tests on 48 specimens of two- and three-leaf thin-tile masonry.
• Analyzed failure modes, including crack propagation and lateral buckling.
• Compared experimental detachment compressive strength values with calculated values from established brick masonry equations.

Main Results:

• The primary failure mode involved cracking at the vertical interface, leading to leaf detachment and subsequent lateral buckling.
• Detachment compressive strength was identified as a relevant metric, showing similar stress-strain behavior in both two- and three-leaf specimens up to this point.
• The equation commonly used for brick masonry was found suitable only for three-leaf thin-tile masonry, with mortar strength playing a significant role.

Conclusions:

• Three-leaf thin-tile masonry exhibits behavior comparable to brick masonry loaded parallel to bed joints.
• The predictive accuracy of existing brick masonry equations is limited for thin-tile masonry.
• Further research is needed to clarify the exact failure mechanism (shear vs. tensile stresses) at the vertical thin-tile-mortar interface.