Cyclic vs. static loading behaviour of masonry blocks: an approach to evaluate the long-term behaviour

The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted on bricks. Prism-shaped specimens were produced. Laboratory tests were carried out at the Non-Destructive Testing Laboratory of the Politecnico di Torino. They were subjected to static compressive tests for the determination of their mechanical properties and cyclic compressive tests for the analysis of their fatigue behaviour. The aim of this work is to apply a failure criterion based on the observation of the static and cyclic curves to estimate the fatigue life and the long-term behaviour of the brick. Subsequently, it will be possible to give a relation between the static-displacement and cyclicdisplacement of the material tested.