Suitability of Half-Scale Burnt Clay Bricks for Shake Table Tests on Masonry Walls

Abstract

Experimental small-scale modeling of clay brick masonry for behavior up to failure under earthquake-type loads poses many challenges, such as manufacturing of small-scale bricks and creating masonry that not only meets necessary similitude laws but also accommodates the requirement of artificial mass for shake-table tests. In addition, the stress and modulus ratios should be unity for model and prototype masonry in all loading conditions. The suitability of the half-scale bricks, produced in the same manner as the prototype, was studied through several material tests on brick units and masonry assemblages. Tests for compressive strength, water absorption, and initial rate of absorption were conducted on brick units. Axial compression, shear, tension bond, flexure, and diagonal compression tests were performed on brick masonry assemblages. A reasonable agreement in strength and stiffness properties of model and prototype masonry was observed, despite the difference in compressive strengths of model and prototype brick units. These results validate the suitability of half-scale bricks to predict the behavior of prototype masonry assemblages up to failure under various loading conditions.