Brick Masonry Definitions, Bonds in Brick Masonry, Wall Construction

What is Brick Masonry?

Brick masonry is made of using brick as a building unit bonded together with mortar. The two essential components used for brick masonry are brick and mortar.

Bricks are the molded rectangular clay of uniforms size depending upon the strength durable of the wall or footing to be raised, bricks are selected on their qualities.

brick masonry 

Quality wise bricks are classified as first-class bricks, second class bricks and third class bricks. First class bricks are of uniform size, uniform colour and have more strength compared to other class bricks.

The motor is also the main component for masonry work which acts as cementing material between the brick and unites them. The motor is a homogeneous mixture containing uniform mixtures of Binder with sand and water to make a paste.

Types of motor may  be used in brick masonry

• Cement mortar
• Lime mortar
• Cement-lime mortar
• Lime surkhi mortar
• Mud mortar

Mud motor is used only for low rise building having less strength and stability where cement mortar is used for high rise buildings for building multi-structures having strength as main importance.

Bonds in Brick Masonry

Bond in brick masonry can be defined as the inter-placement of bricks or arrangement of brick in a course so that every individual unit is tied together.

The main purpose of brick bonding is that it gives strength and stability to the wall or column. It also increases the durability of the building.

Bonded wall with continuous vertical joint has less strength and stability compared to the bonded wall with no continuous vertical joint.

For good Bond work bricks of uniform size are used and Bond help in distribution of the concentrated load over a large area.

The length of brick should be twice its width additional with one joint, so that lap is uniform and lab should be minimum of one-fourth brick along the length and half of the brick across the wall thickness.

Expect in some special location use of bats are discouraged (bats are the portion of the brick cut across the width).

The long portion of the brick that is stretcher should be used only in facing and is preferable to have header course in every sixth course on both sides of the wall.

Types Of Bond In Brick Work

The four important  commonly used Bond in brickwork are,

• Stretcher bond
• Header bond
• English bond
• Flemish bond

Other bonds which are rarely used,.

• Facing bond
• English cross bond
• Silverlock’s bond
• Raking bond
• Zigzag bond
• Garden wall bond

Stretcher Bond

The longest side or length of the brick is the stretcher. Stretcher bond is a type of Bond in which all the bricks are laid as a structure on the face of the wall.

The thickness of the wall is about half of the brick and this used only as a Partition wall, chimney stacks or any division walls.

Header Bond

A header is a shortest side of the brick. If all the bricks are laid as the header on the face of the wall it is known as a header bond.

The thickness of the wall is equal to one brick and this bond is having no strength and it fails to transmit pressure in the direction of the length of the wall.

English bond

English bond consists of alternate courses of header and stretcher in wall. As vertical joints are discouraged in successive work, to break it Queen closer is used after the first header in each heading course.

English bond is considered as the strongest of all other bonds with high strength stability and durability.

Flemish Bond

Flemish bond consists of alternate header and stretcher in each course and also every alternate course starts with the header.

 Every other is supported by the stretcher placed below it. There are 2 types in Flemish Bond single Flemish bond and double Flemish bond.

Facing Bond

Facing Bond will have header course after several stretcher course laid together. This bond is used where bricks of different thickness are used in facing and backing. This bond is not effective not structurally good and do not distribute the load even.

Tools Used for Bricklaying

We use Many tools to cut the brick, to check the verticality of brick walls, some of the tools are mentioned below which are mostly used during brick work

Brick hammer

Trowel

Scutch

spirit level

Plumb rule

Mason’s square

Line and pins

Bolster

Jointer

 Bricklaying

Steps followed during brick laying for wall construction 

1. The bricks used in wall construction should be soaked in water so that they do not absorb the water from the mortar. 

2. Mortar should be spread on the foundation course, the depth of the spread of the motor should be about 1.5 cm. 

3. The corner of the wall should be constructed first. The bricks are laid on the mortar and pressed so that the thickness of the bed joint remains about 1 cm. The excess of the motor from the side will squeeze out with the help of the trowel.

4. After having laid the first course at the corner motor is laid and spread over the first course to depth about 1.5 cm and end stretcher is laid first by, pressing in into the mortar and then hammering it slightly with the back of the trowel so that the thickness of joint is 1 cm.

5. The corner construction should be done with the great care after finishing the corner construction the bricks are laid in between them.

6. Perpends must be kept vertical this should be checked as the work proceeds with the help of the straight edge and the square.

7. Use of bats should be minimized during the brick laying.

8. After having the construction of the wall jointing and pointing is carried out.

Defects In Brick Masonry

Efflorescence:

The appearance of fine white crystals on the exposed brick surface, which is formed on the exposed brick surface due to excess humidity. This makes the appearance wall to look ugly.

Sulphate attack:

When brick comes to contact with moisture the sulphate salts present in brick react with hydraulic lime in a lime mortar or Alumina of cement in cement mortar. Due to this reaction increase in the volume of mortar take place resulting in chipping of bricks and cracks are formed in joints

 Drying shrinkage:

The brick swells and shrinks when moisture content varies in atmosphere resulting in cracks in brick masonry.

Corrosion of embedded fixtures:

When lime mortar is used the iron and steel fixtures such as doors and windows holdfast, steel pipes get corroded, resulting in cracks in brick masonry.

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