A material characterisation framework for assessing brickwork masonry arch bridges: From material level to component level testing

This paper aims to present a systematic framework for material characterisation to assess brickwork masonry arch bridges. An extensive laboratory campaign was carried out to characterise brickwork and backfill material in masonry arch bridges. Initially, the strength and Young's modulus of bricks and mortar, as well as the internal friction angle and cohesion of the backfill materials (e.g., crushed limestone and puddling clay), were characterised by undertaking small-scale material level tests. Then, the compressive strength and Young's modulus of masonry prisms, as well as unit-to-mortar bond properties (e.g., tensile strength, angle of friction and cohesion) were assessed at the component level. Further, large-scale shear box tests were carried out to identify the frictional properties, including the interface friction angle and cohesion, between the brickwork and backfill material. Moreover, both static and high-cycle fatigue three-point bending tests were performed on masonry flat arches to obtain fatigue crack growth and stiffness degradation parameters. Outputs from this experimental campaign can be used for parameter identification and model calibration of complex/high-fidelity numerical models developed to assess masonry arch bridges.