Masonry Construction MCQ with answer and solution

Concept

Minimum thickness of load bearing walls

Formula

NONE

Step-by-step solution

1. Load bearing walls in masonry structures support structural loads from floors and roofs above. 2. Building codes prescribe minimum thickness limits to prevent structural instability in multi-storey buildings. 3. For load-bearing brick masonry up to 3 storeys height, the minimum allowable wall thickness is 20 cm. Answer: B

Explanation

Load-bearing masonry walls must be thick enough to resist vertical structural loads and provide stability across multiple levels. For buildings constructed up to 3 storeys high, codes mandate a minimum load-bearing wall thickness of 20 cm. Therefore, 20 cm is the correct allowable thickness.

Why the other options are wrong

A) 15 cm is structurally inadequate for load-bearing walls up to three stories in height. C) 25 cm is thicker than the minimum required standard of 20 cm for load-bearing masonry walls. D) 30 cm exceeds the minimum allowable thickness limit prescribed by building standards.

Shortcut

Minimum thickness for load-bearing walls up to 3 storeys is 20 cm.

Common mistake

Selecting 30 cm or 15 cm by confusing load-bearing brick wall thickness standards (20 cm) with partition or multi-storey requirements.