Challenges in Characterizing Interface Properties in Historic Masonry Infrastructure

Abstract

During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th and 18th centuries, the city of Amsterdam underwent rapid urban expansion, driven by trade and migration. This led to the construction of numerous earth-retaining walls and bridges, forming part of the Canal District (Grachtengordel). This historic infrastructure serves both functional and a monumental role as part of Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. The oldest constructions in the city centre are predominantly composed of thick, multi-wythe clay brick masonry supported on timber pile foundations. The timber piles forming the foundations of these retaining walls and bridges have exhibited deterioration in recent years. However, the masonry superstructure has shown a capacity to redistribute stresses. Accordingly, mechanical characterisation of these structures is essential to evaluate its current condition and to design appropriate interventions. The multi-wythe walls of these structures are typically 600-1400 mm thick, fully-bonded and constructed using clay brick masonry with a lime-trass based mortar. Despite their critical role in the city's transport infrastructure, the mechanical properties of this historic masonry remain poorly documented. In particular, interface shear and bond properties, which can be critical in out-of-plane failure of the masonry superstructure, are lacking. To this end, this extended abstract describes the challenges encountered so far in the characterisation of interface properties and a possible strategy together with preliminary results for a quay wall structure in the city of Amsterdam.