The Northwest Masonry Guide - Glossary of Masonry Terminology

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

WALL. A vertical member of a structure, enclosing or dividing space. (UBC)
Apron Wall. That part of a panel wall between window sill and wall support.
Area Wall. 1. The masonry surrounding or partly surrounding an area. 2. The retaining wall around basement windows below grade.
Bearing Wall. Any wall meeting either of the following classifications: 1. Any metal or wood stud wall which supports more than 100 pounds per lineal foot of superimposed load. 2. Any masonry or concrete wall which supports more than 200 pounds per lineal foot superimposed loads, or any such wall supporting its own weight for more than one story.
Cavity Wall. A wall built of masonry units so arranged as to provide a continous air/grout space within the wall (with or without insulating material), and in which the inner and outer wythes of the wall are tied together with metal ties.
Composite Wall. A multiple-wythe wall in which at least one of the wythes is dissimilar to the other wythe or wythes with respect to type or grade of masonry unit or mortar.
Curtain Wall. An exterior non-loadbearing wall not wholly supported at each story. Such walls may be anchored to columns, spandrel beams, floors or bearing walls, but not necessarily built between structural elements.
Dwarf Wall. A wall or partition which does not extend to the ceiling.
Enclosure Wall. An exterior non-bearing wall in skeleton frame construction. It is anchored to columns, piers or floors, but not necessarily built between columns or piers nor wholly supported at each story.
Exterior Wall. Any wall or element of a wall, or any member or group of members, which defines the exterior boundaries or courts of a building and which has a slope of 60 degrees or greater with the horizontal plane.
Faced Wall. A wall in which the masonry facing and backing are so bonded as to exert a common action under load.
Fire Wall. Any wall which subdivides a building to resist the spread of fire and which extends continuously from the foundation through the roof. (NFPA 101)
Foundation Wall. That portion of a loadbearing wall below the level of the adjacent grade, or below the first floor line.
Nonbearing Wall. Any wall that is not a bearing wall.
Parapet Wall. That part of any wall entirely above the roof line.
Party Wall. A wall used for joint service by adjoining buildings or portions of buildings.
Perforated Wall. One which contains a considerable number of relatively small openings. Often called pierced wall or screen wall.
Retaining Wall. A wall designed to resist the lateral displacement of soil or other materials.
Shear Wall. A wall which resists horizontal forces applied in the plane of the wall.
Single Wythe Wall. A wall containing only one masonry unit in wall thickness.
Solid Masonry Wall. A wall built of solid masonry units, laid continuously, with joints between units completely filled with mortar or grout.
Spandrel Wall. That part of a curtain wall above the top of a window in one story and below the sill of the window in the story above.
Trombe Wall. See trombe wall.
Veneered Wall. A wall having a facing of masonry units or other weather-resisting non-combustible materials securely attached to the backing, but not so bonded as to intentionally exert common action under load.
WALL PLATE. A horizontal member anchored to a masonry wall to which other structural elements may be attached. Also called head plate.
WALL PLUG. Metal insert used for nailing wood furring and studs to masonry walls. Also called whistle anchor, nail clips.
WALL TIE. A bonder or metal piece which connects wythes of masonry to each other or to other materials.
Veneer Wall Tie. A strip or piece of metal used to tie a facing veneer to the backing.
WASH. A sloping upper surface of a building member, as a coping or sill, to carry away water.
WATER RETENTIVITY. That property of a mortar which prevents the rapid loss of water to masonry units of high suction. It prevents bleeding or water gain when mortar is in contact with relatively impervious units.
WATER TABLE. A projection of lower masonry on the outside of the wall.
WEEP HOLE. An opening left or installed to prevent water from accumulating behind a wall or within a wall.
WHEEL WINDOW. A circular window, usually large, having radial mullions of stone molding.
WIRE CUT. Brick texture produced by trimming extruded clay to size with wires. Referred to also as mission texture.
WIRE SAW. An assembly for sawing stone, both in the quarry and in the mill, by a rapidly moving continuous wire (under tension and commonly helical) that carries a slurry or sand or other abrasive material through a slot that is deepened in the process.
WITH INSPECTION. Masonry designed with the higher stresses allowed. Requires the establishing of procedures at the project site to monitor and report on the mortar, grout, rebar grouting, workmanship and quality. Usually performed by an independent inspection service (UBC).
WITHOUT INSPECTION. Masonry designed with the reduced stresses allowed. (UBC)
WYTHE. 1. Each continuous vertical section of masonry one unit in thickness. 2. The thickness of masonry seperating flues in a chimney.

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