BRIC

MASON
K
RY
OVERVIEW :

IntROductIOn
tEchnIcal tERms
tOOls usEd
typEs
BOnd
JOInts
adVantagEs
dEfEcts
 INTRODUCTION
Masonry

Construction of building units bonded together

with mortar.

Brick masonry

Construction of brick units bonded together with

mortar.
 Technical terms used in brick masonry
•Header
Brick which is laid with its length perpendicular to the face of the
wall.

•Stretcher
Full brick which is laid with its length parallel to the face of the wall.

•Course
Horizontal layer of brick.

•Header course
Course of brick work fully composed of header

•Stretcher course
Course of brick work fully composed of stretchers.
 Header

Row lock

Stretcher

Soldier

5
 Basic Brickwork Terminology

Head
Joint

Bed
Joint

Course - horizontal layer of brick

6
Closer
Portion of brick cut in such a manner that one long face remains uncut.

King closer
Brick is cut in such a way that the width of its end is half of full brick.

Queen closer
Brick is half as wide as a full brick.

Half Bat
Portion of brick cut half across the width.

Bevelled closer
It is similar to king closer with the only difference that the whole length
of he brick is bevelled.
Half bat Full Queen closer
bric
k

King closer
 Tools used
•Trowel
•Plumb bob
•Hammer
•Spirit level
•Mason square
•Steel tape
 m e r
k H am
Br i c

el
o w
Tr

Mason Square
Plumb Bob
Steel tape
 Types of
brick
masonry
•Brick work in mud.
•Brick work in cement.
 Brick work in mud

•The mud is used to fill up the joints

•Thickness of the mortar joint is 12 mm.
•cheapest.
•Maximum height of wall is 4 m.
 Brick work in cement
 I class
• Cement or lime mortar is used.
•The surfaces and edges of bricks are sharp.
•The thickness of mortar joints doesn’t exceed 10 mm.

 II class
•Ground moulded bricks are used .
•Bricks are rough and shape is slightly irregular.
•The thickness of mortar joint is 12 mm.

 III class
•Bricks are not hard , rough surface with distorted
shape.
•Used for temporary structures.
•Used in places where rainfall is not heavy.
 Mortar Functions
 Provides for full bearing
 Seals between masonry units
 bonds masonry units

16
Brick Masonry - Uniqueness
 Fire Resistance

 Size

 Durability

17
 BONDS
English bond

•In general practice this type of bond is used.

•It consists of alternate courses of headers and
stretchers .
•Considered as strongest bond in brick work
•For breaking vertical joints queen closer is placed
after first header
 Header course

Stretchers course

Queen closer

ISOMETRIC VIEW OF
ENGLISH BOND
Flemish bond
•Each course consists alternate headers and
stretchers.
•Not as strong as English bond.
•Alternate course starts with a header at
the corner.
•For breaking of vertical joints , closers are
inserted in alternate courses next to the
quoin header.
Header

Stretcher

ISOMETRIC VIEW OF
FLEMISH BOND
 JOINTS IN BRICK MASONRY

 Joint
 Weathered Joint: Mortar joint has sloped (downwards) edge.
 Concave joint: Joint concave inwards.
 Vee joint: mortar joint is in the form of a V.
 Flush Joint: Mortar joint is flush with the brick surfaces.
 Raked Joint: A large portion of the mortar joint is raked out -
Not a safe, impermeable joint.
 Struck Joint: Mortar joint has a sloped (upwards) edge.
 Masonry Joints
Weathered

Concave

Vee

Flush

Racked

Struck

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 Advantages of brick masonry
The brick masonry is cheaper as compared to stone
masonry.
Bonding strength is very good.
In brick work , the mortar joints are thin and hence
the structure becomes more durable.
No complicated lifting devices are necessary in brick
work.
Brick work can be done by the less skilled labours
also.
In Brick work good quality of bricks posses good
fire resistance.
Due to regular size of bricks they are easy to
handle.
 Defects in brick masonry
 Sulphate attack
Sulphate salts present in bricks work react with alumina content of
cement .
It occur in boundary walls

 Crystallization of salts from bricks

Occur in masonry made out of brick which contain excessive soluble
salts
This phenomenon is also known as efflorescence.

 Corrosion of embedded iron or steel

Iron or steel embedded in brick work gets corroded in the presence
of dampness
On corrosion the metal expands in volume and tends to crack the
brick work.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION by
Rangwala.
 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION by
Sushil Kumar.
Civil Engineering - Building materials
and Construction by Dr. B.
Bhattacharjee( IIT Delhi )
 WIKIPEDIA THE FREE
ENCYCLOPEDIA