Mechanical properties of ancient bricks: statistical analysis of data

In the last years a great deal of experimental work has been carried out by the authors, testing ancient bricks. The experimental tecchnique has been defined in order to obtain the largest number and the more reliable information by the available sample. Bricks were tested, taken from old buildings, historical monuments, crumbling farms. The approximate age of some of these bricks was known, either from archeological studies and archive documents. In the research we are going to present, the data collected in the long run have been organized as to form a simple data base, made of more than three hundred specimens cut from about one hundred bricks. All of them share the geographical area of origin and, most important, the production techniques. A statistical analysis is attempted of the most important mechanical properties in order to derive some useful information for the architects who are going to design restoration of ancient masonry constructions.