Moisture Transport Phenomenon in Block Masonry Ceramics with Interfaces of Cementitious Mortar

In Brazil, buildings use ceramic bricks and Portland cement mortar as constituent materials of the walls, which act as coatings and delimiting elements for internal areas. These materials are porous and highly susceptible to degradation due to the presence of moisture. Water penetrates structures through pores and compromises the useful life of buildings if not identified and treated early. The region between two layers of a wall is called the interface, and due to the presence of this region, the transport of moisture in multilayer elements diverges from those found in monolithic elements. The change in moisture transport behaviour is proportional to the change in the nature of the contact and the water properties of the interface, and it is called as interface resistance. This work sought to obtain information on the storage and transfer of moisture, throughout the useful life of the system formed by ceramic brick and Portland cement mortar. For this, the analysis of the performance of standardized samples was carried out, with different interface configurations, mortar traces, and base dimensions. Different performances were observed for samples of different traits, where some absorbed less water than others. When comparing the different areas of the specimen bases for each trace, in all cases the absorption (moisture content) of water increases as the area is increased. This work presents and discusses the current situation, original techniques, and strategies used in the development of structural reinforcement design of both towers of the Basilica of Penha Church. Repair techniques were, poorly, designed, and conducted in 1981, along with a lack of preventive maintenance, leaks and even the growth of bushes embedded in the masonry led to the instability of the towers of the Basilica of Penha Church. This paper, which combines integrated solutions in a historic monument reinforcement project, was initially challenging and became an important case study, possibly one of the first works using carbon fiber reinforcement in masonry. Another important contribution is the insertion of visitable galvanic protection that enables monitoring and possible replacement of sacrificial anodic inserts, keeping the protection active over time.