Today’s changing climate is demanding more and more from our buildings. In Canada, this means coping with extreme winds and temperature changes, as well as changing rain patterns and exposure to freeze-thaw conditions. At the same time, energy codes are forcing major changes to the way we insulate and detail our buildings to maximize energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Masonry has long proven itself to be a durable construction material, however new construction methods are exposing the materials to new pressures, and results from available previous research is getting less applicable to current conditions.

Dr. Malomo’s research project aims to address several of these knowledge gaps by studying the causes of cracking in clay brick and concrete block construction, as well as the strength and behaviour of modern veneer ties and shelf angle supports that span through very thick layers of insulation.

Through testing of small masonry assemblages and computer analysis of larger structures, the goal is to support the further development of building codes and standards ensure masonry buildings remain durable and energy efficient over their entire service life.

Climate change is bringing with it significant changes to the environmental condition and loads to which masonry structures are subjected. A comprehensive review of CSA masonry standards (CSA S304, CSA A370, CSA A371, CSA A179, CSA A165, and CSA A82) was conducted to identify areas of masonry materials and design that could be affected by climate change.

A review of existing scientific literature was also performed to assess the state of the art and current understanding of the influence of environmental and climatic pressure on masonry buildings, assemblies, and materials.

Slender loadbearing walls, such as the exterior walls of warehouses and gymnasiums, can be constructed from reinforced concrete block masonry, however this type of masonry construction has fallen out of favour in recent years. This is due to various pressure including economic pressures and those arising from restrictive design standards that have imposed arbitrary limits to amount of load which these walls are permitted to resist and limit the permitted modes of analysis.

Dr. Palermo’s research project aims to broaden the base of understanding of the behaviour of slender loadbearing walls. He also examines the potential of using near-surface mounted steel reinforcement to increase the stiffness of reinforced masonry walls and thereby improve their performance as slender reinforced masonry walls.