Shear-compression experimentation of full-scale wood-cement shuttering block walls

The shuttering block construction system is used for the construction of loadbearing walls and consists of special blocks with cavities suitable for hosting vertical and horizontal reinforcements and the cast-in-situ concrete. These walls present a resistant concrete grid made of vertical columns joined together by horizontal squat beams with regular spacing. The present paper discusses the results of the experimental activity conducted at the University of Padua on 6 full-scale wall specimens of diverse aspect ratio (1:1 or 3:4) and openings (i.e. doors and windows). The blocks used in the current research activity are made of petrified wood chips and cement and have the dual function of being a disposable form-work for the cast-in-situ concrete and being a thermal-acoustic surface insulation device of the wall. Cyclic In-Plane displacements of increasing amplitude until failure were imposed (with constant vertical load) to characterize the shear-compression behaviour of the specimens.