You can say it is an art. A mason is responsible for the beautiful stone walls seen on many great architectural works such as cathedrals, castles, palaces, and equivalent structures. One stunning example of masonry at its finest is the great Amiens Cathedral in France. It is a towering architectural achievement made by hand using millions of pounds of stones.
But as masonry reaches to the heavens with great works such as the Amiens Cathedral and The Great Pyramids, it also reaches back to earth as it is also seen on humble structures such as farm walls, water wells, small bridges, and barns. As you can see, its application is wide and varied.
So how do masons build walls? As seen on the Amiens Cathedral, they use independent structural pieces which can be made of stone, brick, granite, marble, lime stone, and travertine. A mason lines up these independent pieces and glues them together using a strong workable paste called mortar.
During ancient times, mortars used in masonry are typically made of mud and clay. This is first seen on great Egyptian architectural works of art such as The Great Pyramids of Giza. Egyptians also used a so-called gypsum mortar which is a mixture of plaster and sand. Later in history, another form of mortar called lime mortar is used. This one found many applications on the great cathedrals of France and Rome. Today, modern masonry structures typically use cement or a mixture of sand.
But a big part of masonry is the selection of the independent stone pieces. Cutting stones to meet exact measurements can be a tough job. So later in history, particularly in Greece and also today, a less labor intensive choice of material was put into use. Examples include concrete blocks and clay bricks.
With all of that said, you might begin to wonder: how strong is a masonry structure? Well, it all depends on the technique used, materials used, and the skill of the mason. As seen on great cathedrals, castles, and towering stone walls, there is testimony that masonry produces formidably strong buildings.
In fact, buildings made with masonry can last a good 500 years and perhaps still stand even after that. A great many old castles, palaces, and cathedrals made with masonry still stand today even after hundreds of years, although some of them had to be reinforced. But compared with the 30 to 100 years durable life expectancy of modern steel or concrete structures, masonry is at the top of the game.
Also, masonry structures are not only strong against the tests of time. They are also formidably strong against nature’s destructive forces such as hurricanes and tornadoes. These stone walls can also resist projectiles. And although nobody wants to expect a canon ball, it is very useful against flying debris brought about by hurricanes. But come to think of it, this might be the reason why most castles prefer masonry. After all, sieges during the time included the use of stone catapults.