Mechanics of hollow concrete block masonry prisms under compression: Review and prospects

The aim of this work is to critically assess the mechanical properties of hollow concrete masonry using experimental results from prisms constructed with blocks of two different strengths and four types of mortar. A key conclusion is that mortar is mostly responsible for the non-linear behavior of masonry. Moreover, a strongly non-linear relationship between masonry elasticity modulus and compressive strength is found, which contradicts the simple linear relation proposed by Eurocode 6 [CEN. Eurocode 6: Design of masonry structures – Part 1 – Common rules for reinforced and unreinforced masonry structures. EN-1996-1-1; 2005.]. The porosity of mortar and the state of stress that mortar undergoes in the process of compressive loading can be responsible for changes in the mechanical properties, such as elasticity modulus and Poisson’s ratio. Finally, different types of mortars induce different failure modes in the masonry prisms and there is clear evidence that the failure of hollow concrete masonry starts after onset of mortar crushing. In order to better reproduce the observed experimental behavior, a tentative model for the mortar Poisson’s ratio variation upon loading is also presented.