Brick Masonry Triplet Shear Tester 

Masonry triplet specimens are widely used to determine the parameters associated with the shear strength of brick masonry (i.e., shear bond strength and bed-joint friction coefficient). This test requires two different loads to be applied on the specimen. Firstly, a pre-compression that is vertical and constant throughout the test is required and then a shear force that is horizontal and monotonically increasing. In the literature, either two servo-controlled actuators have been used (or) one reaction-based jig and a hydraulic jack for this purpose. The developed brick masonry triplet shear tester involves a simpler means of pre-compression through gravity and horizontal load through a screw mechanism or hydraulic jack. The shear tester is a simpler set-up compared to two servo-controlled actuators method, whilst reliable in nullifying the effects of dilation compared to the reaction-based jig method.

Determination of parameters associated with the shear strength of brick masonry

Simple yet reliable working mechanism.