INFLUENCE OF MORTAR MATERIALS ON THE FLEXURAL TENSILE BOND STRENGTH OF BLOCK AND BRICK MASONRY.

This paper reports on 475 tests for the influence of mortar materials on the flexural tensile strength of brick and block masonry for tension normal to the bed joints. The bond wrench testing technique was used to test each joint of the prisms. The results indicated significant decreases in tensile bond for mortars made with portland cement and masonry cement instead of portland cement and lime. Tests using sand with a gradation near the middle of the gradation limits (sieved concrete sand) and the available masonry sand that has more than the maximum percent passing a No. 30 sieve showed that the masonry sand produced slightly better tensile bond.