Comparing Masonry Compressive Strength in Various Codes

In order to help establish more representative compressive strength values for masonry construction, this article compares the American, Canadian, British, and Australian masonry code philosophies and test methods for determining the compressive strength of masonry. Compressive strength tests of concrete and brick masonry prisms were conducted using each country’s test methods and the test values were compared to tabulated code values. Significant differences were found between the tabulated compressive strength values of the compared masonry codes, with the higher the unit strength, the higher the difference. These findings demonstrate the need for further research to improve the estimate of masonry compressive strength based on unit strength and mortar type.