ABSTRACT
Masonry is one of the oldest building materials in the world. A large number of buildings around the world are made from unreinforced masonry, among which there are many historical monuments of great cultural value. Due to differences in the origin, no single uniform unreinforced masonry type exists, but a plenitude of different types. These can be differentiated by different types of units: clay brick, sandstone, natural stone or concrete, and different types of mortar: lime or cement, and different types of assemblages. Thus, when speaking about masonry, we speak in fact about very different materials, and statements are very difficult to generalize. However, for design purposes, it is common practice to simplify the material to an orthotropic material.
