The cost of housing has increased in recent years, posing great challenge to the engineers. By the use of traditional materials and construction methods alone, it will not be possible to construct houses at a pace matching the ever increasing demand. There is an urgent need for reducing the cost of construction by adopting some innovative techniques using traditional materials. Fired earth brick is the most popular low cost building material used in many part of the world. Some innovative techniques like the construction of brick masonry cavity walls and 190 mm thick reduced thickness wall...