Influence of the testing procedures in the mechanical characterization of adobe bricks

A study of the influence of testing procedures in the mechanical characterization of adobe bricks traditionally used in Aveiro district, Portugal, was conducted. Cylindrical and cubic adobe specimens were subjected to simple compression tests, adobe bricks to flexural tests, and cylindrical adobe specimens to splitting tests. With these tests it was possible: (i) to collect more data to improve the knowledge of the mechanical behavior of adobe; (ii) to determine correlations between results obtained with different testing procedures; and (iii) to perform a rigorous characterization of the deformations suffered by adobe under compression, by measuring deformations directly on test specimens.

► Mechanical characterization of adobe bricks collected from existing constructions.
► Cylindrical and cubic specimens subjected to simple compression tests.
► Bricks subjected to flexural tests and cylindrical specimens to splitting tests.
► Comparison of results obtained with different testing procedures.
► Rigorous characterization of the deformations suffered by adobe under compression.