Brick and brick masonry is one of the most durable and widely used building and structural materials. This book has been developed not merely as a textbook for students but also as a guide to designers and builders. The book incorporates feedback from students while a course on structural design was taught, experience in testing of materials at the IIT Kanpur, and author’s design expertise as a consultant. Many brick buildings have been analysed and their statistics have been presented. A certain amount of research component based on a sponsored project from the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi has been added to enable engineers to get more depth in the subject.

The first two chapters are an introduction to the properties of bricks, mortar and masonry. The histograms and statistical analyses give an insight of the chapter of brick and brick masonry in some parts of India. The third chapter presents the design of load-bearing brick walls and columns, and design of retaining walls. Design of reinforced brick slabs and beams is presented in chapter four. Some problems associated with reinforced brick construction have also been highlighted.