Movement of Masonry due to Moisture

Masonry materials expand and contract due to changes in moisture levels during wet weather
(reversible moisture movement). Clay bricks rarely exhibit movements in excess of 1mm per
10 metres of walling.
Because concrete is more porous, cement bricks exhibit reversible expansion and contraction
in the range of 3-6mm per 10m of walling.
Clay bricks have a once off, permanent expansion after manufacture due to the firing process
that extracts all moisture from the brick. This expansion is between 0 and 0.2%.
The bulk of a clay brick’s expansion takes place in the first six months after manufacture and
is typically accommodated during construction with vertical movement joints.

Movement of Masonry due to Temperature

All building materials also undergo daily thermal expansion and contraction and these daily
temperature swings can result in stress cracks over time.
South Africa experiences well-defined daily temperature swings of about 20˚C during both
winter and summer. We have extremes of heat, compared with the extremes of cold
experienced in the northern hemisphere.
In winter rainfall regions, the combined factors of low outdoor temperatures, rain and frost
require special consideration to prevent water condensation and damage due to damp on
interior walls of all types.

CLAY BRICK:

Thermal expansion and contraction is minimal throughout the year. Depending on the clay
mixture and firing process, the coefficient of linear thermal movement is 4-8.

CEMENT BRICK:

Moisture movement is exacerbated by a daily cycle of thermal expansion and contraction.

Depending on the type of aggregate and proportions, the coefficient of linear thermal
movement is 7-14.

CEMENT BLOCK:

The movement coefficient of concrete blocks is similar to cement bricks, but because blocks
are larger the magnitude of movement is greater. Large blocks show cracks and plaster
crazing more than smaller concrete units.
Architects need to consider factors beyond the walling material. Movement of the adjoining
structural steel frames (linear thermal coefficient of 12), aluminium, timber, and concrete
floor or roof slabs can all cause distress in either supported or infill masonry of every type.

Structural Instability due to Masonry Movement

Masonry movement due to shifts in foundations and soil compaction are serious and require a
professional engineer to assess their impact on structural stability.
In terms of clay brick construction, there is a significant body of knowledge available to
contractors and architects during specification, design, construction and maintenance.
Renovations and Extensions of brickwork

When extending a masonry building, it is important that the new brickwork is bonded, or
joined correctly to old masonry as well as new construction materials to prevent structural
cracking. If walls are removed, in most cases clay bricks can be reused.

Masonry, the art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.
Construction of poured concrete, reinforced or unreinforced, is often also considered
masonry.

The art of masonry originated when early man sought to supplement his valuable but rare
natural caves with artificial caves made from piles of stone. Circular stone huts, partially dug
into the ground, dating from prehistoric times have been found in the Aran Islands, Ireland.
By the 4th millennium bce, Egypt had developed an elaborate stonemasonry technique,
culminating in the most extravagant of all ancient structures, the pyramids.

The choice of masonry materials has always been influenced by the prevailing geological
formations and conditions in a given area. Egyptian temples, for example, were constructed
of limestone, sandstone, alabaster, granite, basalt, and porphyry quarried from the hills along
the Nile River. Another ancient centre of civilization, the area of western Asia between the
Tigris and Euphrates, lacked stone outcroppings but was rich in clay deposits. As a result, the
masonry structures of the Assyrian and Persian empires were constructed of sun-dried bricks
faced with kiln-burned, sometimes glazed, units.
Inca stoneworkInca stonework lining a street in Cuzco, Peru.© Ron Gatepain

Stone and clay continued to be the primary masonry materials through the Middle Ages and
later. A significant development in masonry construction in ancient times was the invention
of concrete by the Romans. Although well-cut blocks of stone masonry could be erected
without benefit of mortar, the Romans recognized the value of cement, which they made from
pozzolanic tuff, a volcanic ash. Mixed with water, lime, and stone fragments, the cement was
expanded into concrete. Walls of this concrete, faced with various stone or fired-clay
materials, were more economical and faster to erect than walls made of stone blocks.