system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How are 2nd floor joists supported at exterior walls in old turn-of-the-century (1900) brick homes?
gpt
They were typically set into beam pockets recessed into the masonry facade/structure. There would basically be a notch or hole left in the brickwork and the joist slid in. The vertical load of the joist is now supported by the masonry below in compression.