Nondestructive tests have been proposed and used for the evaluation of structural masonry conditions, quality control, and properties of materials in-situ. However, most of nondestructive methods work only with mortars with low compressive strength (< 4,0 MPa) or for qualitative assessment, and are not practical for in-situ use, requiring too much time to perform evaluations. For those reasons, a pneumatic pin penetration test was used to evaluate the penetration depth of a steel probe and correlate it with the compressive strength of mortar in a laboratory. The study has shown a good correlation between the penetration depth of pins and the compressive strength of mortars, besides proving to be a practical test, which is fast and easy to implement in situ.
Nondestructive test; Bed mortar joint; Mortar; Structural masonry
