Experimental and numerical investigation of tensile properties of early-age masonry

Abstract

During the initial construction period, “early-age” masonry walls are susceptible to lateral loads induced by wind, which may result in damages or catastrophic failures at a job site. To mitigate such consequences at construction sites, temporary bracing may be required to provide lateral support to masonry walls until they reach sufficient strength or can be tied into other structural elements. However, current temporary bracing guidelines provide oversimplified design due to the lack of available information on the material properties of early-age masonry. Failure of early strength masonry and incorrectly braced walls is the most significant risk to workers and has led to serious injury to persons and property. This is a persistent issue raised by both the installers and designers of masonry due to the high level of risk and lack of any design information of early-age masonry. This paper presents the first investigation into the stress–strain behavior of early-age (3–72 h) masonry assemblages through a novel uniaxial tensile testing program. Additionally, a 3D microscopic numerical model with cohesion-based interaction surfaces is developed to accurately estimate the tensile behavior and failure patterns of early-age masonry assemblages.