High temperature effects on masonry materials

Research on masonry structures is very complex and manifold. A quite novel branchof research for masonry materials is here addressed, i.e. the residual behavior of brick,cement mortar and masonry after exposure to high temperatures. Masonry buildings -especially old and historic ones - are often very vulnerable to the attack of fire, and theneed for fire protection may be in conflict with preservation of architectural heritage.The whole matter of high temperature exposure is rich in physical, mechanical andchemical issues, which are mutually connected. Moreover, masonry material is compositeand involves a variety of combinations of materials, geometry and textures which areidentifiable in masonry buildings through different ages and countries; this leads topossible expensiveness in testing and difficulties in theoretical and experimentalmodeling. The point of view of the mechanical characterization of materials after hightemperature exposure is here taken into consideration; about this peculiar subject, veryfew theoretical as well as experimental studies are currently available.First, the state-of-the-art of such research is briefly outlined. Real events as well asstandard fire tests often demonstrate that masonry walls and structures can excellentlywithstand the high temperatures that can be reached during a fire event; on the otherhand, the residual mechanical performance of a structure after exposure may need to beevaluated, if high levels of fire safety are required.Then, the results of recent investigations are here reported, which have given a firstcontribution to the experimental knowledge of the residual behavior of masonry andseparate components (solid clay bricks and cement mortar) after high temperatureexposure. The theoretical elaborations of such outcomes have been useful to set a firstbasis for the establishment and calibration of analytical tools for the prediction of theresidual mechanical performance of masonry, brick and mortar. \ua9 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved