What are the common reasons that masonry structures fail?

Humidity is one of the most common causes of failure in masonry buildings. Masonry structures are prone to fracturing. One of the biggest threats to a masonry structure is moisture. Masonry walls exposed to the elements can easily absorb water, and this compromises your structural integrity.

Water that seeps into a brick or stone wall will also freeze and thaw, putting pressure on the entire structure. Water penetration poses a danger not only to masonry materials, but also to the adjacent assembly, such as wood, metal, doors and windows. For these reasons, moisture control is one of the most common masonry restoration projects. Moisture penetration is a common cause and a major problem for the masonry structure.

And this is because this material has a greater affinity with water. Therefore, when exposed to it, it absorbs water quickly and begins to lose structural integrity. During the winter, water or moisture in the masonry begin to freeze and thaw. Lateral deflection is the curvature of the masonry walls. This type of disintegration occurs over time as the mortar loses its cohesive strength, the wall, under the massive weight of its own brick masonry, loses strength and begins to bend and bend.

Often, lateral deflection problems occur in areas where the rungs of the stairs are cracked due to a fault in the differential or headboard joint. These situations usually occur in combination or as precursors to lateral deflection. Slide shear failure is a way in which the bricks or mortar of the masonry walls slip one by one over another horizontally. This fault is due to horizontal forces acting on walls during an earthquake.

Insufficient bonding between bricks or inadequate shear strength of the mortar can contribute to this type of breakdown. Diagonal cracks occur in masonry walls when tensile stresses, developed on the wall under a combination of vertical and horizontal loads, exceed the tensile strength of the masonry material. Diagonal cracks often occur in brick masonry buildings during seismic events. These cracks usually form at an angle of 45 degrees and can be seen on walls.

Diagonal cracks are the result of tensile stresses induced by lateral forces acting on the building. They can weaken the structural integrity of walls and indicate possible instability.