ABSTRACT
Load bearing masonry has been one of the most regularly adopted type of construction since hundreds of years. Basically, load bearing masonry is configured/designed to be stable and later checked for strength. However, the modern masonry construction, which adopts engineered blocks, is designed to withstand a combination of loads by virtue of reinforcement and grout. The experimental investigation includes characterization of materials such as hollow concrete blocks, mortar, grout, aggregates for conformance of the materials to specific standards. The investigation also included the evaluation of strength (compression, flexure) and elastic properties of unreinforced and reinforced masonry prisms. Tests conducted showed improved strength properties with introduction of reinforcement and grout in the hollow concrete block masonry.
