MASONRY - Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers - page 305

8

MASONRY

A masonry structure is formed by combining masonry units, such as stone
or brick, with mortar. Masonry is one of the oldest construction materials.
Examples of ancient masonry structures include the pyramids of Egypt,
the Great Wall of China, and Greek and Roman ruins. Bricks of nearly uni-
form size became commonly used in Europe during the beginning of the
13th century. The first extensive use of bricks in the United States was
around 1600. In the last two centuries, bricks have been used in construct-
ing sewers, bridge piers, tunnel linings, and multistory buildings. Masonry
units (Figure 8.1) are still being used in construction in the United States
and are competing with other materials, such as wood, steel, and concrete
(Adams 1979).

8.1 Masonry Units

Masonry units can be classified as

concrete masonry units

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clay bricks

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structural clay tiles

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glass blocks

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stone

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Concrete masonry units can be either solid or hollow, but clay bricks,
glass blocks, and stone are typically solid. Structural clay tiles are hollow
units that are larger than clay bricks and are used for lightweight masonry,
such as partition walls and filler panels. They can be used with their webs
in either a horizontal or a vertical direction. Figure 8.2 shows examples of
concrete masonry units, clay bricks, and structural clay tiles. Concrete ma-
sonry units and clay bricks are commonly used in the United States.