ABSTRACT
That brickwork, properly designed and constructed, is one of our most durable materials has never been in doubt. From the remains of the City of Babylon or the brick masonry forming much of the Forum in Rome, brickwork is clearly seen to be capable of passing the test of time. In Britain, the structures built for the canals of the eighteenth century and the railways of the nineteenth century demonstrate the ability of well-conceived, well-constructed and well-maintained brick masonry to provide what, in modern terms, is an extremely long life span.
