Confined masonry is a time tested method that has been traditionally adopted worldwide in high seismic regions. Experiences from past earthquakes suggest that this method of construction helps prevent collapse of houses, and therefore should be encouraged worldwide. As part of the effort to popularise this type of construction, this document prepared by Dr.Svetlana N. Brzev, Department of Civil Engineering, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, BC, Canada. This document presents confined mansonry construction as an alternative form of masonry construction in seismic areas. It contains a review of the international state-of-the-practice as well as guidelines for construction of new structures by this method.
The preparation of this document was supported by the National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India, and the National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.