Walls

Let us first try to analyse he various functions served by walls in a building such as : 

1. support loads of upper floors and roof (in case of load beating walls), 
2. exterior wall of a building has to give protection against Nahuatl elements like sun, wind, rain, snow etc. 
3. ground floor wall has to resist dampness also, 
4. provides enclosure for ensuring security -and privacy, 
5. provide support for doors and windows, 
6. provide thermal insulation, 
7. provide sound insulation, 
8. offer adequate resistance to fire, and 
9. serve as a base for suitable aesthetic treatment. 

Walls can be constructed in various ways using a variety of building materials. The common materials used for construction of walls are as follows : 

1. bricks,  
2. stones, and 
3. various types of blocks. 

The details of materials and construction practices of walls built from these materials are described in subsequent sections.