Impact of salt crystallization on the mechanical properties of structural masonry: An experimental and numerical study

This paper provides the results of an experimental study examining the evolution of mechanical properties of primary constituents of structural masonry (i.e., brick units, mortar and brick–mortar interfaces) during the process of salt crystallization. The precipitated salt changes the pore structure. At the early stages, the porosity decreases which enhances the mechanical performance. However, as the concentration of precipitated salt …