Mechanical characterization of mortar beams

The mechanical characterization of mortars is problematic due to their sensitivity to stress concentration defects, namely pores and flaws. In this paper, data on three-point bending, Young's modulus and fracture toughness of mortar beams are presented and discussed. Here, Weibull statistics is applied to analyse flexural strength of the developed mortar. Based on data obtained according to the EN196-1 standard and corrected values taking into account the actual position where failure origin took place, Weibull modulus was found to decrease from 28 to 22, respectively. In addition, fracture toughness was determined using Griffith approach based on critical crack sizes measured by fractography in fracture surfaces. A value of 0.37±0.04 MPa m½ was obtained, which is typical of very fragile brittle materials.