Experimental Assessment of Mechanical Properties of Adobe Masonry

This paper presents the details of experimental testing of soil, adobe masonry units, and assemblages for the first time in Pakistan. Adobe units were tested both in compression and bending. The compressive strength of adobe masonry was determined by experimentally testing masonry prisms and wallettes, whereas diagonal compression wallettes were tested for determining shear strength. Five and three specimens were used, respectively, for compression and shear strength testing, and an average of these was used as a representative of a particular mechanical property. A soil sample was tested for classification and particle size distribution, which showed that it contained 96% silt and clay contents, which were higher as compared to the soil used for adobe structures in other parts of the world. Both adobe units and soil mortar presented shrinkage cracks upon drying. The compressive strength of adobe units complied with the requirements of international codes despite very high silt and clay contents in the employed soil. The compressive strength of the prism was higher compared to the wallette. The elastic moduli of the adobe masonry prism and wallette were found to be 113 and 114 MPa, respectively. Although the adobe masonry shear strength was comparable to the shear strength reported in the existing literature, its modulus of rigidity was considerably small. The presented data in this paper are essential for improving the built environment in Pakistan.