Prefabricated speckle as enhancement of digital image correlation speckle patterning efficiency for masonry testing

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) requires a high-quality speckle pattern for accurate strain and deformation measurements. Common speckle application methods require precise handling to ensure reliable measurements. This paper explores the use of prefabricated speckles application via water transfer method (WTP) mechanism for applying speckle patterns onto masonry samples. The method introduces a faster approach by reducing the preparation time by approximate 20 % for larger surface specimens (> 8000 mm²) maintaining speckle fidelity across uneven surfaces. Comparative analyses with a conventional method (i.e., strain gauges) and different speckle sizes were performed through a uniaxial compression test on singular solid clay bricks to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The findings suggest that the method can be utilized as an alternative consideration to achieve consistent speckle pattern quality for the DIC setup. The focuses of the present work are:1.Simplification of the method provides a straightforward and user-friendly approach, reducing the complexity for applying a speckle pattern.2.Uniformity in the pattern and size of speckles is demonstrated effectively with the utilization of the proposed method.3.The strain analysis of the proposed method has good agreement to conventional practice with the advantage of full-field measurements.