For my master’s research project, I conducted experimental research on masonry structures. The research topic was ‘Poisson’s ratio for masonry in compression.

Usually, well-designed masonry structures are mainly loaded in compression. Brick and mortar interact and in the interface between brick and mortar lateral stresses will develop due to the different mechanical properties. In literature, different models can be found that estimate these stresses. In these models, Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratios of both brick and mortar are important parameters.

This experimental project was aimed at finding Poisson’s ratios for brick and masonry. Calcium silicate elements were taken into consideration to make a comparison between an almost homogeneous material (calcium silicate) and non-homogeneous material (a composite of brick and mortar).

According to relevant standards, the mechanical properties were determined by the materials (brick, mortar, etc.) and the interface between the brick and mortar (tensile and shear capacity). Finally, experiments were conducted on larger specimens where the transverse contraction was measured in both directions.