Uni- And Biaxial Fracture Behaviour Of Mortar In Brick Masonry

Load-bearing walls are not only exposed to vertical, but also horizontal loading conditions, e. g. from wind or earthquakes. The mortar has to transmit the (vertical and horizontal) loads between the bricks. The behaviour of the mortar up until the first cracks appear, but also mainly after reaching the tensile strength decides about the load bearing capacity of the whole masonry. Hence, knowledge about the fracture mechanical behaviour of mortar is essential. In this article the fracture mechanical properties of different mortars are analyzed using the wedge splitting test according to Tschegg. Lime mortar as well as nowadays used lime cement mortars and cement mortar are tested. The former is often used in still existing old buildings. Force versus crack opening curves, notch tensile strength and fracture energy are the determined values. These results will be useful with regard to the pressure and shear capacity of existing brick masonry.