Structural Design of Masonry Buildings: Principles and Practice

Masonry has been a cornerstone of construction for millennia, but designing modern, safe, and resilient masonry structures requires a deep understanding of engineering principles and material behavior. This text-based course guides you through the essential concepts of masonry design, bridging historical techniques with modern engineering standards. By reading through our comprehensive explanations and working through practical structural design scenarios, you will develop the skills to analyze, design, and evaluate load-bearing and non-load-bearing masonry components. You will gain a solid foundation in selecting materials, calculating structural capacity, and applying current safety codes. What you'll learn: Understand the core engineering properties of brick, block, mortar, and grout; Analyze the structural behavior of masonry under axial, flexural, and shear loads; Design load-bearing walls, columns, and lintels using modern strength design methods; Apply current building codes and safety standards to ensure structural integrity; Explore modern seismic design considerations and reinforcement techniques for masonry; Evaluate real-world structural scenarios through guided step-by-step design calculations. The course begins with foundational definitions and material science, then progresses systematically through structural calculations, reinforcement strategies, and modern design code applications. This course is designed for aspiring structural engineers, architecture students, and construction professionals seeking a clear, accessible entry point into masonry design, with no prior advanced engineering background required. Start reading today to master the fundamentals of modern masonry design.