Types of walls

• A solid wall is constructed either of blocks or brick , stone or concrete laid in mortar with the blocks laid to overlap in some form of bonding , or as a monolithic , that is , one fluid uniterrupted material such as concrete which is poured wet and hardens into a solid monolithic
• A solid wall of blocks is termed masonry wall , and a solid wall of concrete is termed monolithic wall
• A framed wall is constructed from a frame of small sections of timber , concrete or metal joined together , with thin panels of some material fixed over both sides or between the members of the frame
• Each of the types of wall may serve as internal or ecternal wall and as loadbearing or non-loadbearing wall.
• Each of the types of wall has different characteristics in fulfilling the functional requirement of a wall so that one type may have good resistance to fire but be a poor insulator against transfer of heat , and the other poor resistance to rain penetration yet goof insulation against transfer of heat.
• THere is no one type of wall that will fulfill all the functional requirement of a wall with maximum efficiency

• Masonry wall

1. Build on individual blocks of materials such as bricks , blocks or stones
2. Usually in horizontal courses , cemented together with some form of mortar.
3. May be solid ( single thickness ) or with a space/gap between two thicknesses
4. The cheapest structure

• Monolithic wall

1. Build of materials requiring some form of support or shuttering in the initial stage ( formwork ).
2. Plain concrete or reinforced concrete
3. Traditional earth wall and modern concrete wall are examples of this

Frame wall

1. Constructed as a frame of relatively small members
2. Usually formed or constructed by timber
3. Less strength but cheaper
4. Lower degree of sound insulation
5. Better thermal insulation.

Membrane wall

1. Constructed as a sandwich of two or more thin skins or sheets of plywood , reinforced plastic , metal or other suitable materials
2. Thin in general but of high strength and lightweight
3. Can be used for load or non-loadbearing walls or as panels to a structural frame