Evaluation of the quality of historic brickwork / Die Ermittlung der Mauerwerksgüte von Bestandsmauerwerk aus kleinformatigen Ziegeln - Methods of strength assessment / Varianten der Festigkeitsprüfung

The quality of historic brickwork is a significant matter for structural engineers for modernisation, also due to its concentration in public areas. One substantial issue for structural inspection is the characteristic masonry strength or allowable masonry stress, which are defined by the compressive strength. There are several ways of assessing the compressive strength of brickwork or its components, but most of these test methods are not described in engineering standards or are only based on standards for new buildings. This article provides information about the various testing methods and gives recommendations for the selection of applicable test procedures and the experimental scope.