Assessing the Compressive Behavior of Dry-Stacked Concrete Masonry with Experimentally Informed Numerical Models

Abstract

In dry-stacked concrete masonry construction, units are laid without mortar, increasing the speed and reducing the cost of masonry installation. Despite these benefits, mortarless construction has not gained widespread acceptance as a viable alternative to traditional bonded masonry. This is largely attributed to the fact that the effect of surface roughness characteristics on the mechanical behavior of dry-stack masonry is not yet fully understood. To address this knowledge gap, the authors develop experimentally validated, predictive models that explicitly take the bed surface topography into account while representing the localized, nonlinear behavior at dry joints. With these validated models, a parametric analysis is completed to derive relationships between unit variables (e.g., material properties, surface roughness, and grout strength) and the performance of mortarless prisms under axial compressive loads. The derived relationships contribute to the knowledge base in terms of the behavior of dry-stacked masonry construction.