Masonry Design and Construction

Masonry is our oldest permanent construction material. Its has been employed in the construction of castles, forts, majestic cathedrals reaching to the heavens, and simple home shelters for thousands of years. Historically, the design and construction of masonry structures evolved through trial-and-error methods whereby successful designs were repeated and expanded upon. Only during the past century have we begun rather than empirical assessment. Despite its long tradition and widespread use, however, masonry remains the least understood of our major construction materials. As with design practices, the physical properties and methods of manufacturing the constituent masonry materials continue to evolve to meet ever-expanding uses and aesthetic demands. The primary purpose of this chapter is to describe and clarify the use of masonry as a construction material in a way that is applicable to modern applications, in addition to, where appropriate, reviewing the historical context from which contemporary masonry design stems. The conventional subjects of constituent masonry materials and construction practices, their governing codes and standards, and the role each component fills in the final masonry assembly are reviewed. As with any construction material, the practice of designing and constructing with masonry materials continuously revises and builds upon previous knowledge. When fitting, design resources and tools will be cited to provide the reader with alternative means of meeting the evolving demands of today’s masonry projects.