Flexural behaviour of thin joint concrete blockwork: Experimental results

This paper presents a report of an experimental investigation of the behaviour of thin joint concrete blockwork in flexure. Two concrete block types and one thin layer mortar type were used to build wallettes and wall panels, which were then tested to failure. Graphs plotted from the test data revealed a combination of linear and non-linear relationships between the load and displacement. The investigation also revealed that the transverse lateral load capacity of masonry built using solid dense concrete blocks with thin joint mortar is considerably higher (up to 3.5 times) than that of similar blockwork constructed using conventional mortar. Both the mortar properties and the constituents of the parent material forming the block appear to alter the joint strength resulting in enhancements to flexural tensile bond strength. The results also indicate that when thin joint technology is employed, in conjunction with solid dense concrete blocks, the masonry behaves more as a concrete plate than conventional blockwork.

► Bond strength between mortar and block exceeds block’s unit modulus of rupture (UMOR).
► Variability of strength properties between identical wallettes is low.
► Load–displacement curves for wallettes are similar to those for wall panels.
► Load–displacement curve is initially near linear, then non-linear, and finally linear.