Assessing the influence of self-healing capacity of lime-based mortars on brick-mortar interface strength in masonry units

Among the materials used in constructions, self-healing ones have been widely studied, including polymers, asphalts, cement binders; nonetheless the issue of the implementations and engineering of the self-healing capacity of lime-based mortars has been seldom investigated. As a matter of fact, the aforementioned capacity in restoration of building heritage, as well as in concrete structures, would provide an interesting contribution in terms of durability of the same restoration work as well as of the building as a whole. The aim of this research is to study the influence of healing capacity on the masonry behaviour by means of shear tests. The choice to perform shear tests, with or without lateral precompression is due to the representativeness of conditions truly occurring in masonry structural elements when in service. “Triplet specimens” have been fabricated, consisting of 3 clay bricks and 2 layers of purposed-design mortar, to mimic the compositions of mortars which can be actually found in existing heritage buildings. The methodology envisages three phases: a first series of specimens, after 28 days curing in lab environment, was tested to evaluate the shear strength. Then, on a second series of samples, a damage was induced by loading them to a prescribed fraction (70%) of the shear strength, determined as above in the previous stage; samples were subsequently immersed in water for 3 months and re-tested at the end of this curing period. Results clearly show that the autogenous healing capacity is responsible of an interesting recovery of the interface shear strength. The reliability of this approach has been also investigated by comparing the experimental results with a simplified FE model.