Mechanical and Structural Investigation of Traditional Masonry Systems with Diverse Types of Bricks and Hydrated Lime Mortars

This paper presents an experimental study on the mechanical behavior of masonry specimens made from two brick types, factory-made and hand-made bricks, and three types of lime mortars, quicklime lumps, powdered hydrated lime, and commercial hydrated lime. The characteristics of the bricks and mortars and the interaction between each brick and mortar type were expected to have a significant effect on masonry strength. The results indicated that the compressive strength and specific surface area of the factory-made bricks were 15% greater and 22% lower, respectively, than those of hand-made bricks. Specifically, the factory-made bricks have a beneficial effect on specimens under compression, while hand-made bricks improve the specimen's shear strength. In addition, the commercial hydrated lime-based mortar exhibited the best bonding quality for both types of bricks