Statistical Analysis Of Compressive Strength Of Clay Brick Masonry Prisms

The Specification for Masonry Structures section of the current governing masonry design document in the U.S., reported by the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC), contains tables that can be used to determine the compressive strength of masonry, f'm, as a function of the mortar type and the compressive strength of the unit employed to construct the masonry. The majority of the data gathered to create the current values in the MSJC Specification were generated in studies done prior to 1970. There have been significant changes in materials and procedures since this time frame, and there is a need to gather and study more recent data that reflect these changes. In this study, clay brick masonry prism test data since 1980 was collected in a database. Several factors that could potentially affect the prism compressive strengths were identified (predictor variables) and their effects were statistically analyzed.