Compressive and shear bond strengths of grooved AAC blocks and masonry

Abstract

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a light-weight cementitious product of sand, water, cement, lime and aluminium powder mix, used globally for brickwork. The AAC blocks in vogue have smooth surfaces, due to which they have less bond strength than that of traditional clay bricks. This work asserts that the shear bond strength of AAC masonry can be enhanced by using grooved AAC blocks. The compressive strength of the grooved AAC block as well as the shear bond and compressive strengths of the masonry have been investigated experimentally and compared with conventional AAC blocks and masonry. The study clearly demonstrated the superiority of grooved AAC blocks to conventional AAC blocks. Simple analytical models have been developed to estimate the masonry compressive and shear bond strengths. Analytical models are capable of obtaining lower, upper and most likely estimates of strengths. Significance tests have been carried out to support the findings.