On the experimental investigation of pozzolanic lime mortar stress-strain behavior and deformation characteristics when subjected to unloading-reloading cycles

Two series of uniaxial and triaxial compression tests using unloading-reloading cycles (cyclic loading) were performed under different confining pressures, in order to study the stress-strain and the deformation behavior of pozzolanic lime mortar subjected to cyclic loading. A cyclic loading scheme with five loops in the pre-peak region was performed for each test. The experimental results showed that the ratio of plastic strain to total strain is very large in the case of the triaxial compression tests. The marked Young's modulus degradation behavior in the pre-peak region is related to damage that occurs in each specimen. Future work will aim to experimentally investigate the post-peak region behavior of the material.