Dataset from the dynamic shake-table experiments on a full-scale unreinforced clay-brick masonry building with chimneys.

This data paper outlines detailed information on the acquisition and use of sensor measurements from shake-table experiments on a full-scale unreinforced masonry building. The tests were carried out at the shake-table facilities of the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering in Lisbon, Portugal. The building specimen, replicating a typical Dutch single-storey detached house, was made of solid clay bricks and featured a gambrel roof and two chimneys. It was densely instrumented with accelerometers, potentiometers, and LVDTs, recording the response of various structural and non-structural elements. A series of unidirectional dynamic tests of increasing shaking intensity was performed, providing a unique dataset that captures at full scale the in-plane and out-of-plane behaviour of walls and the influence of flexible timber diaphragms on the dynamic global response of an entire building. The dataset is instrumental in improving the accuracy and reliability of simulations focused on the dynamic response, progressive damage, and collapse of unreinforced masonry buildings under seismic actions. The authors made this data available to support the development of analytical and numerical models, advancing research in earthquake engineering and performance-based seismic assessment of unreinforced brick-masonry buildings. The comprehensive dataset, including acceleration and displacement time series, is hosted on the Built Environment Test Data platform and is freely accessible without any restrictions through https://www.betestdata.eu/, assisting researchers and engineers in effectively utilising the data for further studies.

Mechanical Feasibility Study of Pressed and Burned Red Ceramic Blocks as Structural and Sealing Masonry.

In the search for better constructive efficiency and a reduction of the waste of construction materials, several researches have been performed in the last years around the world. Red ceramic blocks are artifacts widely used in civil construction around the world, and they result in a great consumption of raw materials and energy. The great innovation of this research was the development of ceramic blocks through an innovative method of pressing and dosing materials, replacing the traditional stage of extrusion in the manufacture of ceramics. In such a sense, a new manufacturing technology for ceramic blocks was proposed through the pressing process, adapting the soil-cement brick press machine, thus attaining more even pieces with greater compliance to the dimensions and preset geometry. In this work, the physical and mechanical features of the pressed and burned blocks (PBB) are produced in a partnership with Arte Cerâmica Sardinha, a traditional ceramic industry in the region of Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. It was sought to set the quality parameters for the blocks, to set their mechanical compressive strength, deformation modules and the Poisson coefficient. The blocks were tested in use by means of three layers of prism and small wall samples, and it was checked the fragile-type failure of the PBB. Results indicate that the blocks can be employed in small-sized construction works, as the characteristic compressive strength to block measured was 3.62 N/mm2 for average water absorption of 20.84%.

Verification of the Influence of Loading and Mortar Coating Thickness on Resistance to High Temperatures Due to Fire on Load-Bearing Masonries with Clay Tiles.

Masonry has been widely used as a construction method. However, there is a lack of information on its fire behavior due to the multitude of variables that could influence this method. This paper aimed to identify the influence of loading and mortar coating thickness on the fire behavior of masonry. Hence, six masonries made of clay tiles laid with mortar were evaluated. The mortar coating had a thickness of 25 mm on the face not exposed to high temperatures, while the fire-exposed face had thicknesses of 0, 15, and 25 mm. For each mortar coating thickness, two specimens were tested, with and without loading of 10 tf/m. The real-scale specimens were subjected to the standard ISO 834 fire curve for four hours, during which the properties of stability, airtightness, and thermal insulation were assessed. Results showed that loaded specimens yielded smaller deformations than unloaded ones. Samples that lacked mortar coating on the fire-exposed face underwent fire resistance decrease of 27.5%, while the ones with 15 mm decreased by 58.1%, and the ones with 25 mm decreased by 41.0%. As mortar coating thickness increased, the plane deformations decreased from 40 mm to 29 mm and the thermal insulation properties of the walls improved significantly. For specimens with mortar coating thickness of 25 mm, the load application resulted in a reduction of 23.8% of the thermal insulation, while the unloaded specimen showed a decrease of 43.3%, as well as a modification of its fire-resistance rating.