This Standard incorporates Amendment No. 1 (May 1999) and Amendment No. 2
(June 2000). The changes required by the Amendments are indicated in the text by a
marginal bar and amendment number against the clause, figure, or part thereof affected.

The objective of this Standard is to provide minimum requirements for the design and
construction of unreinforced, reinforced and prestressed masonry, including built-in
components, for use in masonry applications.

The Standard is the result of a consensus among representatives on the Joint Committee
that it be produced as an Australian Standard.

In the preparation of this Standard valuable assistance was given by organizations and
individuals experienced in various aspects of the design and construction of masonry, and
the Committee acknowledges their help.

Acknowledgment is also made of the assistance gained from the following documents and
publications:

(a) Australian Masonry Manual, published by a joint committee of the Public Works
Department, N.S.W. and the Association of Consulting Structural Engineers, N.S.W.
(b) Publications of the Clay Brick and Paver Institute; the Concrete Masonry
Association of Australia Co-op Limited; the CSIRO Division of Building,
Construction and Engineering; and the Department of Civil, Surveying and
Environmental Engineering of the University of Newcastle.

Significant new developments incorporated into the Standard include the following:

(i) An increased use of performance-type specification of requirements, rather than
prescription specification, to encourage sound continuing development in all aspects
of masonry construction.
(ii) The inclusion of the virtual work method for the design of unreinforced masonry
subject to wind or earthquake loads, which addresses window and door openings of
wall panels and also covers panels not fixed at one end.
(iii) Additional requirements for structures subject to earthquake actions.
(iv) Requirements for the design of prestressed masonry.
(v) Requirements for the design and construction with AAC (autoclaved aerated
concrete) units.
(vi) A design method for wall ties.

Statements expressed in mandatory terms in notes to tables and figures are deemed to be
requirements of this Standard.

The terms ‘normative’ and ‘informative’ have been used in this Standard to define the
application of the appendix to which they apply. A ‘normative’ appendix is an integral
part of a Standard, whereas an ‘informative’ appendix is only for information and
guidance.

First published in part as AS CA32-1963. Second edition 1967. AS CA47 first published 1969. Revised and redesignated AS 1640-1974. AS CA32-1967 revised and redesignated AS 1475.1-1977. AS 1475.2 first published 1983. AS 1640-1974, AS 1475.1-1977 and AS 1475.2-1983 revised, amalgamated and redesignated AS 3700-1988. Second edition 1998.