Structural performance of cavity walls constructed with units containing sawdust and shear connected to the brick veneer

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the behaviour of walls constructed using newly developed masonry sawdust blocks. Full-scale cavity walls consisting of the new masonry block backup and burnt clay brick veneer, connected together using metal connectors, were tested under lateral loads. The effects of block unit size, height of wall, reinforcement, grout, and cavity width on the behaviour of the wall were studied. The test results showed behaviour similar to that of walls constructed with lightweight concrete masonry units. A summary of the results is presented in this paper. Key words: masonry, cavity wall, shear connector, lateral loading, stiffness, veneer, sawdust block.