BeginnerTopic 16 of 112Civil & Structural
Timber and masonry
Traditional materials with specific strength and moisture behaviour.
In depth
Timber: renewable, light, good strength-to-weight, anisotropic and sensitive to moisture and decay; engineered products (glulam, CLT) permit tall timber buildings. Masonry (brick, stone, block) is strong in compression, weak in tension, and provides thermal mass and durability.
Key points
- Moisture content effects
- Seasoning and treatment
- Mortar types
ExampleMass-timber towers up to 20+ storeys are built with CLT.
What is Timber and masonry?
Traditional materials with specific strength and moisture behaviour.
Why is it important to understand timber and masonry?
Timber and masonry are traditional materials with particular behaviour that must be respected in design, especially moisture and load direction.
How does moisture affect timber?
Moisture changes strength and causes swelling or shrinkage, which can crack joints and reduce load capacity.
Why is masonry strong in compression but weak in tension?
Brick and block bond with mortar, but the joints are weak planes, so masonry resists compression well and tension poorly.
How is Timber and masonry used in practice?
Typical applications include designing a timber roof truss for a house, checking the capacity of a brick wall in a low-rise building and choosing a treated timber for a deck exposed to rain.
What should I learn before Timber and masonry?
Study "Structural steel" first (topic 15 of 112 in Civil & Structural). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Timber and masonry?
Moisture content effects. Seasoning and treatment. Mortar types.
Can you give an example of Timber and masonry?
Mass-timber towers up to 20+ storeys are built with CLT.
What comes after Timber and masonry?
The next topic is "Bricks and blocks", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Timber and masonry?
It is classed as Beginner in Civil & Structural (topic 16 of 112). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.