Masonry performs great in compression, and when grouted and reinforced, masonry walls can effectively handle bending and shear forces as well.
Bond beams are horizontally reinforced elements that provide resistance to lateral loads and help make the wall rigid. Bond beams may be constructed in a variety of ways, from solid-bottom U block, to standard open-cell units used in concert with a grout stop device, to special knock-out units, and even field-notched units to accommodate the horizontal bars. Heavily reinforced walls often benefit from A-block or H-block to make it easier for the masons to lay block around the vertical bars in place.
In the hands of union bricklayers, reinforced masonry is an excellent alternative to cast in place concrete at a fraction of the cost.
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