Assess of hollow clay block masonry wallets under high temperature

Resumen

The main goal of this study was the behavioral assessment at high temperatures of masonry wallets built with
different geometries of hollow clay blocks. In total, four type of structural wallets were erected; blocks of 15
x 20 x 30 cm nominal dimensions (width x height x length) and compressive strength of 7, 10, 15 and 18
MPa were built, employing laying mortar with compression resistance of 6, 8 ,10 and 12 MPa, respectively.
The wallets were submitted to a constant temperature of 900°C, up to 4 hours, while heated gases permeability,
thermal insulation and mechanical resistance were assessed. As conclusions, it was possible to observe
that some wallets demonstrated the best thermal insulation performance, above 4 hours. Regarding the mechanical
resistance and the gas permeability, none of the wallets analyzed reached the flexural criteria established
for the work.
Keywords: high temperature performance; clay blocks; masonry wallet.