Influence of Moisture on the Mechanical Properties of Load-Bearing Adobe Masonry Walls

Abstract

Adobe is one of the oldest and most widely used building materials in the World. In the region of Aveiro, Portugal, traditional adobe construction represents about one-third of the existing buildings, some of which are of great architectural and patrimonial value. There is, however, a significant deterioration of several of these buildings, which need to be refurbished. A major difficulty for those involved in the process of structural assessment is the almost absence of references to adobe masonry mechanical properties. In this context, it is important to carry out the mechanical characterization of adobe masonry. Therefore, compression and shear tests were performed on adobe specimens from Aveiro?s region load-bearing adobe walls. Tests were carried out for two moisture contents (saturated and unsaturated) in order to analyze the influence of the frequent moisture conditions in the mechanical behaviour of the adobe masonries and their components. Experimental results allowed determining mechanical properties of adobe load-bearing walls, whose reference values can be used in their safety conditions assessment. It was also possible to formulate corrected equations of the Eurocode 6 for compressive and shear strength.