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Design of Reinforced and Prestressed Masonry

The reinforcement of masonry is not a new concept and in the 18th Century external iron straps were commonly used in stonework. Sir Marc Brunel used reinforced brickwork in the construction of two caissons, one on either side of the River Thames for the Wapping-Rotherhithe Tunnel. Brunel was so impressed by the performance of reinforced masonry that he carried out tests on reinforced beams and cantilevers. At the turn of the 20th Century a number of adventurous reinforced brickwork buildings were built by a French structural engineer, Paul Cottancin. Today reinforced masonry is widely used in retaining walls, for improving structural performance locally within a building and for enhancing the lateral load resistance of walls.