When subjected to dynamic loading, materials can exhibit a mechanical behaviour quite different from its static counterpart. The evaluation of dynamic properties is thus very useful in the assessment of existing masonry structures. This paper presents results of an experimental campaign to determine both the dynamic Young’s modulus and the shear modulus of brick masonry constituents through two non-destructive testing methods. Following a discussion on the reliability of the methods, a robust procedure is described and tested on a variety of samples. The results show that the techniques can be successfully applied to provide reliable estimates of the dynamic elastic properties of brick masonry constituents.

Peer Reviewed