Methodology for brick/mortar interface strength characterization at high temperature

Abstract The interface between bricks and mortar is often the weakest part of masonry structures. For refractory linings, the interface strength must be measured at high temperature. Adapted slant shear tests and a new dedicated tensile test set up are proposed here for this purpose. To test the ability of the proposed method, it was applied on two representative brick/mortar couples from room temperature up to 1450 °C. Slant shear tests were conducted to measure ultimate compression and shear stresses and to identify temperature dependent parameters of the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. Tensile tests were performed to identify the tensile cut-off. Depending on the brick/mortar couples, the failure can appear at the interface or in the mortar. Cohesion and tensile strength decrease sharply over 900 °C.