Experimental Analysis of the Mechanical Behaviour of Clay Masonry with Mortars Composed of Recycled Mortars

This work reports a part of research aiming at the development of sustainable masonry systems. The objective of this research is to study the influence of novel mortars with recycled aggregates on the mechanical behaviour of masonry wallets, with specific focus on the compressive behaviour. Four different types of general-purpose mortar and two different types of clay units were used to construct the specimens according to EN 1052-1:1999 standard, building up 8 combinations. In total, 32 specimens (4 specimens per combination) were tested to determine the compressive strength and E-modulus. All the specimens were built and tested at the R&D laboratory of Wienerberger in Beerse (B) using standard test machine with a loading capacity of 2500 KN. In all cases, the specimens made with mortars having recycled aggregates indicated a comparable compressive strength (higher by 10% in general) having a lower E-modulus (by around 50% in general) comparing to the specimens made with commercial mortars.