Masonry walls: materials and construction

This paper offers a review of contemporary masonry wall construction beginning with a brief statement of the applications and advantages of this form of construction. Masonry materials include clay, concrete and calcium silicate in which a wide variety of unit sizes, forms and colours arc produced. Mortars are usually cement/sand with either lime or a plasticiser added to improve workability. In recent years new types of mortars have been developed including thin bed mortars for use with accurately dimensioned units and mortars with improved thermal properties. Design considerations for load bearing and non-load-bearing walls are summarised and construction methods and site practices, aimed at improved economy and productivity, are described. A list of key references is included. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.