Question

Historical load-bearing masonry structures were designed with the assumption that

a. all wind loads on the building were resisted by exterior walls only, and in doing so, they interacted with each other structurally
b. all wind loads on the building were resisted by exterior walls only, with no structural interaction between them
c. both interior and exterior walls resisted wind loads
d. interior and exterior walls and floor and roof diaphragms resisted wind loads collectively
e. none of the above

Answer 1

a. all wind loads on the building were resisted by exterior walls only, and in doing so, they interacted with each other structurally. Historical load-bearing masonry structures were designed with the assumption that all wind loads on the building were resisted by exterior walls only, and they interacted with each other structurally. The load-bearing walls had to be strong enough to support themselves and the roof, and the interior spaces were limited in size to accommodate heavy loads.

Step-by-step explanation:

Historical load-bearing masonry structures were designed with the assumption that all wind loads on the building were resisted by exterior walls only, and in doing so, they interacted with each other structurally. This means that option a is the correct answer.

The load-bearing walls in these structures needed to be strong enough to support themselves and the roof. If the roof span were too large, the roof would push the walls out, causing them to collapse. Therefore, the load-bearing walls could only support small windows or doorways.

Additionally, the interior spaces of the buildings were limited in size because much of the interior space had to be devoted to supporting heavy loads.