Evaluation of Nonlinear Material Properties of Fly Ash Brick Masonry under Compression and Shear

Abstract

This paper reports nonlinear stress-strain characteristics and failure mechanisms of fly ash brick masonry and its constituents (fly ash brick units and mortar) obtained under compression and shear. Based on the experimental results, simple relations were proposed to evaluate the modulus of elasticity of fly ash brick masonry prisms in terms of the compressive strength of masonry prisms. Shear strength and shear modulus of masonry were evaluated by testing two different sizes of masonry wallettes, and a parametric study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the compressive strength of brick units, mortar cubes, and masonry prisms on the shear strength of masonry wallettes. The compressive strength of masonry prisms and fly ash brick units was found to be less than that of the mortar cubes. Fly ash bricks exhibited a very weak and soft nature in comparison with that of burnt clay bricks.