Masonry Construction Reinforces any Structure

Earthquakes are not of huge concern and tend towards afterthought for Minnesotans. They are worthy of , thinking about and when you protect against them, you in essence are protecting against any structural or foundational issues that may arise in the building of an addition or new home. Houses and buildings shift over time, movements within the framing and structure often sets general deterioration of the home in motion.

A simple approach is called for in masonry construction for your Minneapolis or greater Twin Cities area home. How any structure reacts during an earthquake or its general existence over time depends on its overall shape, size and geometry. The way the earth’s forces move across and underground plays a major role in how well your home withstands the environmental stresses of time. Your home being an existing structure with an in-ground foundation, your home is already doing battle against forces underground. The main objective is to utilize masonry construction as a reinforcement or extra layer of protection that helps further work towards making sure that a structure does not collapse during earthquakes.

An earthquake, of course, is a naturally occurring phenomenon that unfolds frequently with minimal warning, if any at all. Amongst all of its land-based counterparts in the naturally occurring disasters game, earthquakes are the most devastating. Ground motions unfold randomly, in all directions, radiating from the epicenter. Structures in the way of these forces have to deal with the heavy blows thrown at them. All structures in such locations should be designed to ensure stability (earthquake or general functionality).     

Masonry consists of assembling a building by placing masonry units (brick, concrete, stone, etc). The units are laid with mortar which binds them to create the structure. Masonry construction, in addition to helping structurally, can add aesthetic appeal to a home at reasonable prices. Not all that different from concrete, masonry is usually high in compressive (a material’s resistance to breaking under compression) but is low in tensile strength (a material’s resistance to breaking under tension).

Masonry construction as a means of further solidifying a structure should follow the general rules below:

·         Building configuration should be simple.

·         Formation should be based on solid, steady ground.

·         Structure should be easy and definite.

·         Frame of the building structure should have adequate ductility as well as required strength capacity.

·         Deformations produced in a building should be held to values, which will not provide obstacles to safety use of building.                          

For more information on masonry construction in Minneapolis and the greater Twin Cities area, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610 or you can get a Free Quote.