Assess of hollow clay block masonry wallets under high temperature

ABSTRACT 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.