An Experimental Study on the Effect of Water on Historic Brickwork Masonry

Giaccone, Domenico; Santamaria, Ulderico; Corradi, Marco

doi:10.3390/heritage3010003

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Amongst the main causes of degradation of heritage masonry is the presence of high moisture content resulting from the capillary absorption of groundwater. It is recognised that moisture can affect both the mechanical characteristics of masonry, as well as the plaster and rendering, and its effects need to be identified in combination with other structural problems [1][2][3]. A fundamental understanding and quantification of moisture effects on the mechanical properties of porous building materials such as masonry is hence required [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compressive behaviour of fired-clay brick and lime mortar masonry components in dry and wet conditions

Bompa

Elghazouli

2020

Mater Struct

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This paper examines the fundamental mechanical properties of masonry elements incorporating fired-clay bricks and hydraulic lime mortars under ambient-dry and wet conditions, corresponding to 48 h submersion in water. In addition to complementary material characterisation assessments, two types of specimens are tested: cylindrical cores in compression, and wall elements in compression. Overall, a detailed account of more than 50 tests is given. Apart from conventional measurements, the use of digital image correlation techniques enables a detailed assessment of the influence of moisture on the constitutive response, confinement effects and mechanical properties of masonry components. The uniaxial compressive strengths of wet brick elements and brick-mortar components, resulting from tests on cylindrical cores with height-to-depth ratios of around two, are shown to be 13-18% lower than those in ambient-dry conditions. The tests also show that enhanced confinement levels in brick units mobilise 67-92% higher strengths than in the corresponding unconfined cylinders. Moreover, experimental observations indicate that the presence of significant confinement reduces the influence of moisture on the mechanical properties as a function of the brick and mortar joint thickness and their relative stiffness. As a result, the failure of wet masonry walls in compression is found to be only marginally lower than those in ambient-dry conditions. Based on the test results, the influence of moisture on the constitutive response and mechanical properties of masonry components is discussed, and considerations for practical application are highlighted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compressive behaviour of fired-clay brick and lime mortar masonry components in dry and wet conditions

Bompa

Elghazouli

2020

Mater Struct

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“…Heritage masonry is characterised by high material heterogeneity, irregular bearing elements and degradation of constituents due to environmental effects. It is recognised that environmental wetdry cycling can affect both the mechanical characteristics of masonry as well as plaster and rendering [1][2][3]. Moisture within masonry walls can have a detrimental effect on buildings and may undermine their long-term durability and integrity [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and numerical assessment of the shear behaviour of lime mortar clay brick masonry triplets

Bompa

Elghazouli

2020

Construction and Building Materials

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This study investigates the fundamental shear response of masonry triplets incorporating fired-clay bricks and hydraulic lime mortars. It examines the behaviour under ambient-dry and wet conditions, corresponding to 48h submersion in water, as well as the effectiveness of strengthening with fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates and glass fibre meshes (GFM). After describing the materials, mix designs and specimen details, the main results from 50 triplet tests subjected to shear and normal pre-compression are presented. Digital image correlation measurement techniques, which are employed in order to obtain a detailed insight into the shear behaviour, enable clear identification and quantification of the main failure modes and response characteristics of the brick-mortar interfaces. The results show that the shear strength of wet triplets was about 20% lower on average than of those in dry conditions. Specimens provided with FRP sheets offered a higher strength enhancement than those with GFM. The strength increase using FRP was in the range of 16.6%-185.8% compared with the non-strengthened dry counterpart, depending on the laminate layout and normal stress level. In contrast, the strength increase using GFM, in conjunction with a mortar overlay, was typically less than 10% compared with the non-strengthened dry counterpart. A significantly higher strength contribution from both FRP and GFM was obtained for elements without pre-compression. Although the strength enhancement using GFM was generally modest, such strengthening is activated gradually leading to a relatively ductile interfacial behaviour in comparison with FRP. In order to provide further insights into the behaviour, complementary nonlinear numerical simulations are undertaken, using the key parameters obtained from the tests. The numerical models employ detailed surface-based cohesive-contact approaches, with due account for inelastic damage at the masonry interfaces, and damage-plasticity modelling for the constitutive response of brick materials. It is shown that the numerical approaches adopted are able to capture reliably the main behavioural characteristics and failure modes, and can therefore be employed for further numerical assessments.

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“…Finally, the vulnerability of town walls depends on their shape, degree of connection to towers or fortifications, quality of masonry, environmental or anthropogenic degradation and alterations suffered over time. The masonry walls may often exhibit significant out-of-plane mechanisms due to water-related issues (Giaccone et al , 2020), lateral earth pressure, lack of maintenance (Andreini et al , 2013), soil settlement, slope instability and seismic shaking.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simplified methodology for risk analysis of historic centers: the world heritage site of San Gimignano, Italy

Giuliani

Falco

Cutini

et al. 2021

IJDRBE

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Purpose Worldwide, natural hazards are affecting urban cultural heritage and World Heritage Sites, exacerbating other environmental and human-induced threats deriving from deterioration, uncontrolled urbanization and unsustainable tourism. This paper aims to develop a disaster risk analysis in Italian historic centers because they are complex large-scale systems that are cultural and economic resources for the country, as well as fragile areas. Design/methodology/approach A heritage-oriented qualitative methodology for risk assessment is proposed based upon the formalization of risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability and exposure, taking into account the values of cultural heritage assets. Findings This work provides a contribution to the body of knowledge in the Italian context of disaster risk mitigation on World Heritage Sites, opening for further research on the monitoring and maintenance of the tangible heritage assets. The application to the site of San Gimignano proves the effectiveness of the methodology for proposing preventive measures and actions that ensure the preservation of cultural values and a safer built environment. Originality/value The application of a value-based simplified approach to risk analysis is a novelty for historic centers that are listed as World Heritage Sites.

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An Experimental Study on the Effect of Water on Historic Brickwork Masonry

Cited by 26 publications

References 31 publications

Compressive behaviour of fired-clay brick and lime mortar masonry components in dry and wet conditions

Compressive behaviour of fired-clay brick and lime mortar masonry components in dry and wet conditions

Experimental and numerical assessment of the shear behaviour of lime mortar clay brick masonry triplets

A simplified methodology for risk analysis of historic centers: the world heritage site of San Gimignano, Italy

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