ABSTRACT
Masonry in its various forms is a widely used material for commercial and residential buildings in Australia. However, its use and market share in some applications have diminished due to a range of commercial and social factors. Masonry, along with timber, steel and concrete is one of the four primary construction materials used in Australian buildings. It is used in a wide range of both loadbearing and non-loadbearing applications in a number of forms. The largest masonry market is in residential construction where brick veneer, and to some extent cavity brick, is the commonest form of walling, with partially reinforced and single skin concrete masonry being used in tropical. The end of the mining boom and shrinking demand for new houses slowed Australia's economic recovery from the global financial crisis in 2009-10. Revenues of masonry manufacturers were affected when new housing demand fell from a peak of 174,400 in 2009 to 155,000 in 2010.
