Karsten tube analysis for joint mortar identification in masonry

The present work examines the Karsten tube penetration test to identify mortar types in existing masonry, for mortars containing air-lime or hydraulic binders. Mortar type identification is e.g. of relevance for the reusability of the fired clay bricks in the masonry, where a hydraulic binder content makes the mortar removal process significantly more difficult. The Karsten tube test makes it possible to make a simple and non-destructive mortar analysis on-site assessing the water absorption of the mortar, via the surface of the mortar joint alone. The present approach considers both the effect of the surrounding bricks and the surface finish of the pointing. Furthermore, the setup masks the brick surface exposed under the Karsten tube to focus the exposure on the mortar. Three different mortar types in existing masonry were tested: air-lime mortar, air-lime/hydraulic lime mortar and air-lime/cement mortar. The results showed linear water absorptions, which were clearly distinguishable for the hydraulic and non-hydraulic binders during the 15-minute tests. The measurement results in the present work document how the Karsten tube penetration test can be used for simple and non-destructive identification of joint mortar types determining whether the masonry was constructed with air-lime mortar or mortar containing hydraulic binders.