HARDNESS, ELASTICITY MODULUS AND FLEXION STRENGTH OF DRY SET PLASTER

In this study the mechanical properties of dry set plasters are of int erest. Shore C hardness of different plasters is given as a function o f porosity for porosities ranging from 41 to 65 vol%. The data, and da ta collected from literature, show that Young's modulus follows an emp irical power law for porosities ranging from 26 to 70 vol%. Flexion st rengths were measured on samples of different sizes and porosities (41 .4-65 vol%). As they are size dependent, strength variation cannot be correlated to the sole porosity. Finally, analysing the results with W eibull's theory led to the proposition of a brittleness scale for plas ters. Brittleness increases with decreasing porosity.