Effect of Microwave Radiation on the Compressive Strength of Solid Ceramic Brick
David Průša,
Karel Šuhajda,
Tomáš Žajdlík,
Kateřina Svobodová,
Stanislav Šťastník,
Klara Hobzova,
Vaclav Venkrbec
Affiliations
David Průša
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Karel Šuhajda
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Tomáš Žajdlík
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Kateřina Svobodová
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Stanislav Šťastník
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Klara Hobzova
Institute of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveří 331/95, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Vaclav Venkrbec
Department of Building, Energy and Material Technology, Faculty of Engineering Sciences & Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Lodve Langesgate 2, N-8514 Narvik, Norway
Microwave radiation is widely utilized in construction practice, especially for drying building materials, remediating damp masonry, or sterilization of biotic pests that have infested building structures. The available scientific and technical literature reports that certain materials exposed to microwave radiation do not change their physical and mechanical properties, although this has not yet been adequately verified. This paper builds on many years of research in the area, adding to and refining existing information, providing new insights into the mechanical and physical properties of commonly available building materials that have been exposed to controlled microwave radiation, and comparing them with reference values. The experimental research on a set of clay brick samples is carried out using tests according to European standards, and it focuses on the effect of microwave radiation on compressive strength and water absorption. The experimental samples were compared to reference samples that had not been subjected to prolonged exposure to moisture and were subsequently treated with microwave radiation for dehumidification.
