Masonry construction

Masonry construction uses walls that both enclose space and carry the whole building. Units such as stone, brick, mud brick or concrete block are laid in mortar, and floor and roof loads sit directly on the walls. There is no column-and-beam frame, or only a very limited one.

How masonry works

Masonry is strong in compression but weak in tension. Spans are kept modest, and openings for doors and windows are bridged with lintels, arches or vaults. Walls need to be evenly distributed in plan, with corners and junctions well bonded. Horizontal bond beams and ring beams at floor level tie the walls together so the building acts as one.

In earthquake zones, codes limit the number of storeys, wall lengths and opening ratios for masonry buildings. In Turkey, where it is called yığma yapı, those limits are set by the national earthquake regulations and the seismic conditions of the site.

Much of our heritage is masonry

Most historic houses, caravanserais, mosques and bridges in Anatolia are masonry. Surveys, restitution studies and restoration projects for these buildings document the wall material, bonding pattern and mortar in detail. Our article on conserving architectural heritage covers that process.