Dry Stacked Surface Bonded Masonry - Structural Testing and Evaluation

The ENDURA block system is a dry-stack surface-bonded masonry system. Typical masonry construction uses thin-set mortar in the bed joints to provide a bearing surface for the blocks while the ENDURA system typically relies on shims and a surface bonding coat to ensure that the wall is level and plumb and to provide stability. Typical ENDURA block walls are built with the reinforcement placed eccentrically in the walls. Testing was performed on ten walls in order to determine axial capacity. The walls were ten feet high by eight feet wide. Each of the walls was built using a different configuration of block type, reinforcement spacing, and amount of grout. A steel frame with two hydraulic jacks was used to apply vertical load to the top of the walls. Three conclusions were drawn from the axial testing performed. First, typical ENDURA block walls built without thin set mortar in the bed joints have similar axial capacity to walls built with the thin set mortar. Second, walls built with un-reinforced cells grouted resisted significantly more load than walls built with only the reinforced cells grouted. Third, more research is required in order to establish a control and to determine whether the eccentrically placed rebar has a significant effect on the axial capacity of the walls.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Grantor dc:publisher

Brigham Young University - Provo

Author dc:creator

• Murray, Eric B.

• axial
• compression
• compressive strength
• masonry
• dry stack
• surface bond
• Endura
• thin set
• mortar
• grout
• Civil and Environmental Engineering

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1251

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-2250