TABLE OF CONTENTS Masonry is one of the oldest construction materials, and in some sense masonry represents civilization. It is the Roman masonry ruins that tourists crave; it is the medieval stone cathedrals and castles that attract many of us to Europe; it is masonry that architects turn to when permanence, solidity, and beauty are sought. From the first rubble walls of the appropriately named Stone Age to contemporary brick veneer systems, the evolution of masonry materials and designs closely parallels the levels of human scientific sophistication.
The term masonry is usually defined by dictionaries simply as the work of a mason. It includes several loosely related materials brick, stone, concrete, and tile that are manufactured as relatively small units and bonded together in the field, usually by mortar. All these various kinds of masonry can provide strength, protection from weather, security, and fire and sound resistance, although their structural behavior is slightly different,
Masonry can carry structural loads or be used for enclosure walls. In this chapter, we limit our discussion to structural renovation of load-bearing masonry of all kinds. Renovation of exterior masonry walls is addressed in Chap. 13, although a few issues necessarily overlap those discussed here.
The types of masonry units, the mortars used, and the methods of placement have all evolved over the centuries. For example, clay masonry construction, which started as unreinforced massive walls, has changed to modern brick veneer and to reinforced single-layer oversize brick units. Knowledge of the...
