Julian Thambooa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0207-8808
Priyan Diasb https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0333-7189

ABSTRACT

This article explains the changes brought about in traditional masonry construction after the
damages observed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and also due to urbanisation and climate change
in Sri Lanka. Masonry construction largely remained traditional and informal till the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami that devastated the coastal infrastructure in the country, where the majority of damaged buildings
were made of masonry. A hybrid form of housing construction using masonry and reinforced concrete (RC)
ties, commonly referred to as confined masonry, was proposed in the reconstruction phase of the 2004
tsunami. As the population increase and need for urbanisation demanded more multi-storey buildings, in
most instances masonry came to be used as infills in framed RC/steel buildings. The methods of analysing
masonry walls under flood and tsunami loads are explained, highlighting the scope for more research in
order to evolve better designs under such loading conditions. Changes in climate, particularly increasing
temperature, causes discomfort and serviceability issues in masonry buildings; hence the need for
improvements, based on studies considering climate adaptation in masonry building/wall design, are
emphasised. Though contemporary masonry design codes offer detailed provisions for designing masonry
buildings, the limitations in developing countries due to socio-economic constraints requires localised
strategies to deliver context-sensitive solutions, some of which are highlighted in this article.
Keywords: Masonry, Buildings, Tsunami, Disasters, Urbanisation, Climate change