IntermediateTopic 61 of 112Civil & Structural
Masonry design
Load-bearing walls resist compression but have limited tension.
In depth
Unreinforced masonry resists compression but little tension; reinforced masonry adds bars in grouted cores. Design checks axial, flexure, shear, slenderness and eccentricity; walls act as bearing or infill panels. Seismic regions require reinforcement and ties.
Key points
- Characteristic strength of units and mortar
- Lateral support
- Cavity walls
ExampleLoad-bearing brick walls in low-rise houses carry roof and floor loads directly.
What is Masonry design?
Load-bearing walls resist compression but have limited tension.
Why is it important to understand masonry design?
Masonry carries compressive loads well but is weak in tension, so walls must be designed to avoid tension and to resist lateral loads.
What makes masonry walls strong?
Their thickness, height-to-thickness ratio and the compressive strength of the masonry unit and mortar combined.
How can masonry resist lateral loads?
Walls can be reinforced with steel bars grouted into cores, or designed with piers and buttresses for stability.
How is Masonry design used in practice?
Typical applications include checking the load capacity of a loadbearing brick wall in a house, designing a reinforced block wall to resist wind loads and assessing the stability of a tall masonry wall under lateral pressure.
What should I learn before Masonry design?
Study "Timber design" first (topic 60 of 112 in Civil & Structural). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Masonry design?
Characteristic strength of units and mortar. Lateral support. Cavity walls.
Can you give an example of Masonry design?
Load-bearing brick walls in low-rise houses carry roof and floor loads directly.
What comes after Masonry design?
The next topic is "Wind engineering", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Masonry design?
It is classed as Intermediate in Civil & Structural (topic 61 of 112). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Civil & Structural first.