Compressive Strength, Specimen Shape and Reinforcement in Conblock Masonry

摘要

Hollow core, grouted and reinforced prisms of different geometries were made from a single type of concrete block (conblock) and one mortar type to investigate the influence of specimen geometry, grout and reinforcement on the behavior of conblock structural masonry. Direct compression tests were performed on individual masonry units, two block (PR2B) and three block (PR3B) prisms, stretcher bond prisms either three courses high and 1 1/2 block in length (PRCVAB) or three courses high and two blocks in length (PRC2B). The specimen behavior reflected by the compressive stress-strain relationship was then analyzed from which specimen geometry was found not to have any significant effect on the compressive strength. Observations also showed that the addition of reinforcement does not significantly contribute to an increase in compressive strength of hollow core prisms as was observed in grouted prisms.