Experimental study of traditional stone masonry under compressive load and comparison of results with design codes

This study addressed the mechanical behaviour of a natural stone masonry typical from the Spanish Romanesque, both in Heritage and conventional buildings. The objective of this research was to provide new data about the mechanical properties, especially the compressive strength values. The characterisation of the basic materials and different stone masonry prisms is presented. Sandstone and low strength lime-cement mortar were used for this experimental work, because of their availability and similarity with the masonry found in many historic buildings from the north of Spain. The morphological characteristics of the original ancient walls were also taken into account, in order to manufacture prism specimens that were as representative as possible of the Spanish Romanesque typology (i.e. in terms of its geometry, composition of the internal core, relative size, etc.). Additionally the experimental values were compared with the analytical ones provided by the main recommendations and standards. The analysis of the results permits a better understanding of these materials and a reliable source of data for the validation of the existing structures.