Experimental Evaluation of Multi-Layer Brick and Adobe Materials

The walls constituting the masonry structural system are quite fragile. As the wall height increases, the fragility increases as the number of units and joints increases. In walls made of brick and adobe material, more fragile structures are built due to the small number of units. There are not enough studies on how the increase in units changes the compressive strength of the wall. In this context, the study investigated the compression change in multi-layer brick and adobe materials due to the increase in height. Lime mixed mortar was used between the brick units while clay, fiber and water mixed mortar with the same properties was used between the adobe units. In the study, material properties of bricks, adobe and mortars were determined. It was determined that the compressive capacity decreased significantly as the wall height increased. According to the data obtained, an equation was proposed to predict the compressive capacity depending on the wall height for walls made of brick and adobe materials. The proposed equation and experimental results were found to be consistent.