Detachment of plasters in masonry buildings: analysis by acoustic emission and numerical simulation

An innovative laboratory procedure is described for testing the mechanical adhesion of new dehumidified mortar applied in the restoration works. A specific adherence test was carried out on composite specimens made by stone block and repair mortar. During the laboratory test the acoustic emission (AE) technique was employed, in order to estimate the amount of energy released from fracture propagation in the adherence surface between mortar and stone. A numerical simulation follows the experimental data. The evolution of detachment process of mortar in a coupled stone brick–mortar system was analysed by AE signals, which can improve the numerical model and predict the failure mode in the adhesion surface of repair plaster.