Assessment of the initial shear strength of brickwork facade – concrete slab interface

Among the different existing types of current facades, the most traditional are usually built in masonry either standing on or hanging from the building’s main structure. Facades must withstand not only gravitational loads but also horizontal ones, such as winds that can affect their stability. These loads must be taken into account along with those considered in seismic zones. The aim of this work is to assess the initial shear strength of brickwork facades under horizontal loads through shear tests. The interfaces studied are brick–mortar–brick and brick–mortar–concrete, the latter of which represents the support of facades on concrete slabs, a topic which is not widely dealt with in current research or standards. Several triplets and prisms, manufactured with two different configurations and using two types of mortar, were tested. Through this study a possible weak plane, constituted by the support of the brickwork facade on concrete slabs, was found, which is not contemplated in the existing standards.