Masonry features include design flexibility, diverse textures, structural strength, mold resistance, durability, simple maintenance needs, and competitive costs. Thanks to these properties, masonry has been one of the most used construction methods throughout history and in modern times. Masonry buildings are fire resistant, as well as durable. In addition, masonry buildings have demonstrated their ability to withstand lateral loads (wind and earthquakes) in the past.
Hence the use of masonry in resilient designs. As the construction industry evolves year after year, the safety and structural integrity of masonry construction have also evolved. Masonry refers to the construction of structures using individual units. These units are usually placed in mortar and then attached with mortar.
However, the term masonry can also be used to describe actual units. Brick, building stones such as marble, granite and travertine, cast stone, cinder block, and glass block are all common materials in masonry construction. Most multi-storey concrete masonry buildings are divided into two main types: load-bearing shear-wall-type buildings and filled walls. It has also recently approved a design method for masonry wall frames resistant to the blows.
The construction of masonry walls with infill is usually simple, since the main construction system is in place before the masonry construction. One of the first concrete masonry structures with wall support to use this new technology was a nine-story building for the elderly in Cleveland, Tennessee, which was built in 1969 using partially reinforced concrete masonry walls. The real economy of concrete masonry lies in taking advantage of the strength of masonry units (making them resistant) and minimizing the cut of the modular construction unit by using multiples of 8 inches. Masonry is not affected by any of these conditions, so maintenance costs of the masonry buildings are low.
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