Investigation of moisture transport properties of FAL-G bricks and cement

Abstract

"Moisture travels through porous building materials giving rise to many undesired consequences like structural and cosmetic damage to the structure and health hazards to the residents. In India, most of the construction involves masonry and with the advent of load bearing masonry walls or reinforced masonry and con ned masonry, strength loss causes a potential risk to the stability of the building, which in turn raises the issue of durability of building materials. It is necessary to understand how moisture travels through the walls and make sure that steps are taken in order to prevent any harmful consequences. Present study focuses on Fly Ash bricks subjected to moisture transfer and estimation of the di usion co-e cient of y ash bricks. Computational models are developed to simulate moisture transfer in Fly Ash bricks and cement mortar and are veri ed against experimental results to obtain an expression on moisture di usivity dependant on moisture content of the brick. These computational models are employed to perform parametric studies on masonry wall panels."