Enhancing Masonry Construction: Investigating the Impact of Mortar Thickness and Steel Fiber Reinforcement on Strength and Durability

Abstract

This study investigates the potential efficacy of incorporating steel fibers into cement mortar to reinforce masonry walls. The approach focused on the influence of height-to-length ratio, which was interpreted and administered through methodologies of material selection, testing, and experimental setup. Two locally manufactured bond bricks and cement mortar in brick laying were the prime materials selected for experimentation. Two formulations (one without and the second with steel fibers) of cement mortar were employed. The mixing ratio for both materials groups was 1 part cement to 3 parts sand during the experimental testing phase, while the steel fibers were mixed in the second group at a ratio of 0.2 by volume. A total of twelve samples were tested, first to compare the compressive behavior of locally manufactured bricks and cement mortar samples without and second with steel fibers, and subsequently to explore the impact of height-to-length ratio and mortar thickness on wall model behavior. Compressive strength and deflection of the samples were compared. The results revealed that the compressive strength of the masonry doubled and the deflection was halved by the introduction of steel fibers into the mortar, and a direct proportionality was observed between the height-to-length ratio and the strength of the masonry, with the strength robustness increasing and the deflection by the walls decreasing for its higher vertical to horizontal elements, and significant enhancement of the capacity to withstand load by the masonry, with the strength sometimes exceeding double, by the entrainment of steel fibers in the mortar, and the consequential deformation decreased by them, pointing to the importance of steel fiber reinforcement in cement mortar for brick walls, especially for strengthening existing structures, signalling the need for a detailed exploration of its axial flexural, shear, and impact resistance. Finally, a numerical model was built using the ABAQUS and the results obtained were matched between the numerical model and the experimental study we conducted, and the results were identical.