Which structural consequence arises from poorly mortared stepped masonry?

💡 Explanation

Reduced tensile strength results from weak mortar because load transfer between blocks relies on cohesive bonding. Therefore, stones shift under stress rather than maintaining structural integrity, leading to collapse because the masonry's tensile capacity is lessened.

• Which consequence resulted from Byzantine diplomacy using staged mechanical displays?
• Which critical failure was increased when ancient Mesopotamian ziggurats were constructed on saturated clay soils without drainage provisions?
• Which manoeuvre becomes impossible on a Viking longship if the sail's brailing lines degrade?
• Which constraint limited the rate of fire for repeating crossbows in the Han dynasty?
• Which risk increases when a blast furnace's refractory lining degrades during iron production?
• Which structural limitation in 18th-century ship construction led to hogging and sagging failures in long voyages?