Skip to main content

Destructive and non-destructive tests in masonry

Short answer

Destructive tests include compressive strength of wall panels/prisms, diagonal shear, flexural bond tests, flat-jack, push shear, core extraction and mortar sampling. Non-destructive tests include visual inspection, rebound hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity, sonic tomography, ground penetrating radar, infrared thermography, and borescope.

List the names of destructive tests and non-destructive (NDT) tests in masonry wall.

Destructive (and minor-destructive) tests on masonry wall

  1. Compressive strength test of wall panel or prism (laboratory).
  2. Diagonal shear (diagonal compression) test of a panel.
  3. Flexural (bond wrench or beam) tests; tensile bond strength.
  4. Flat-jack test (minor-destructive, in situ): slot cut in mortar joint.
  5. Push shear test (minor-destructive, in situ).
  6. Core extraction and testing, and mortar sampling.

Non-destructive tests (NDT)

  1. Visual inspection and crack monitoring.
  2. Rebound (Schmidt) hammer test.
  3. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and sonic tests.
  4. Elastic wave (sonic) tomography.
  5. Ground penetrating radar (GPR).
  6. Infrared thermography.
  7. Borescope / endoscopy; moisture meters.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

Related questions

All Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure chapter 10 questions →