MASONRY

 The art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.
 Masonry is also resistant to fire, sound, and sometimes earthquake.
 The building of structures from individual units
 It can also refer to the units themselves.

ADVANTAGES OF MASONRY
 The use of bricks and stones can increase the thermal mass of a building and can protect
the building from fire.
 Masonry is a non-combustible product.
 Masonry wall are more resistant to projectiles, such as debris from typhoons, hurricanes,
etc.

DISADVANTAGES OF MASONRY
 Extreme weather can cause degradation of masonry
 Masonry tends to be heavy and must be built upon strong foundation to avoid settling and
cracking.
 Masonry requires more skilled labor.

MASONRY TERMS
JOINT – The junction of two or more masonry pieces leaving a space between the
bricks or concrete masonry units that is filled with mortar or grout. There are two types of joint:
the bed joint and the head joint

BED – The bed is the horizontal layer of mortar where stone/brick units are laid.
FROG – A hole on the longer face of a brick made with the object of forming an
indention for the mortar.

HEADER SIDE – The shorter side of a piece of brick.

STRETCHER SIDE – The longer narrow side of a piece of brick.

COURSE – A continuous horizontal layer of similar bricks/stones that are bonded with
mortar and are one unit high.
STRETCHER COURSE – A course of bricks/stones that lie with its longest side
parallel to the face of the work.

HEADER COURSE – A course of brick work in which all the bricks are laid as
headers.
 TYPES OF MASONRY
Concrete Blocks – They usually are much larger than ordinary bricks and so
are much faster to lay for a wall of a given size. They can be reinforced by filling
the block voids with concrete with or without steel rebar.

Bricks – It is a highly durable form of construction. It is built by

placing bricks in mortar in a systematic manner to construct solid mass that
withstand exerted loads.

Stones – It is the construction of stones bonded together with mortar.

 Ashlar Masonry - masonry utilizing dressed stones
Rubble Masonry - masonry using irregularly shaped stones

CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS

 It can be a solid unit called concrete bricks, and hollow units called hollow blocks, etc.
 A standard size rectangular block used in building construction
 One of the most versatile products in the construction industry.
 They can provide for the structural frame of the building.
TYPES OF CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS
Hollow Concrete Blocks – They are commonly used, which are heavy in weight and
manufactured from dense aggregate. They are very strong and provide good stability to the
structures. So for large work of masonry like for load bearing walls these solid blocks are
preferable. They are available in large sizes compared to bricks. So, it takes less time to
construct concrete masonry than brick masonry.
Stretcher Block – It is used to join the corner in the masonry. They are widely
used concrete hollow blocks in construction.

Corner Block - It is used at the ends or corners of masonry (i.e. windows etc.)
They are arranged in a manner that their plane ends visible to the outside and other end
is locked with the stretcher block.

Pillar Block - It is also called as double corner block. These are used when two
ends of the corner are visible.

Jamb Block - It is used when there is an elaborated window opening in the wall.
They are connected to stretcher and corner blocks.

Partition Block - They are generally used to build partition walls. Partition blocks
have larger height than its breadth.
Lintel Block - It is used for the purpose of provision of beam or lintel beam. It is
generally provided on the top portion of doors and windows, which bears the load
coming from top.

Frogged Block - It contains a frog on its top along with header and stretcher. This
frog will help the block to hold mortar and to develop the strong bond with top laying
block.
 Bullnose Block - They are similar to corner blocks. Their duties also same but
when we want rounded edges at corner bullnose bricks is preferred.

Solid Concrete Blocks - It contains void area greater than 25% of gross area. Solid area
of hollow bricks should be more than 50%. The hollow part may be divided into several
components based on our requirement. They are manufactured from lightweight aggregates.
They are light weight blocks and easy to install.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF CMU
 Load Bearing (ASTM C90)
Consist of thick, heavy masonry walls of bricks or stone that supports the entire
structure, including the horizontal floor slabs, which could be made of reinforced concrete,
wood, or steel members.
 Non-Load Bearing (ASTM C129)
Does not support any gravity loads from the building, hence doesn’t bear any
weight besides its own.

CLAY BRICKS
CLAY – It is found in three forms: surface clay, shale, and fireclay.
SURFACE CLAYS – it is the clay resides near the surface of the earth.
SHALES – are clays that have been subjected to high pressures.
FIRECLAYS – are found at deeper levels and have more uniform physical and chemical
properties.

MANUFACTURING CLAY BRICKS

WINNING AND STORAGE – Winning is a term used to describe the mining of clay.
FORMING THE BRICKS – Stiff-mud process is most widely used. And the soft-mud
is used for brick making from clays.
DRYING – Once formed, the bricks are placed in low-temperature drier in one to two
days.
GLAZING – is a sprayed coating of mineral ingredients that melts and fuses to the brick
when subjected to the require temperature.
BURNING AND COOLING – involves raising the temperature of dried bricks to a
predetermined level.
 DRAWING AND STORAGE – They are sorted, graded, stacked on wood pallets, and
wrapped in plastic to keep the bricks dry.

CLAY MASONRY UNITS

SOLID MASONRY – have cores whose area does not exceed 25 percent.
BRICK PAVERS – are solid clay units whose selection is based on weather resistance.
FIRE BRICK – are made from special clays containing alumina-silica with of iron
oxide.
HOLLOW MASONRY – comprise units whose net cross-sectional area in the plane.

PROPERTIES OF CLAY BRICK AND TILE

COMPREHENSIVE STRENGTH – depends on the type of clay.
DURABILITY – refers to the ability of a clay masonry unit to resist damage from freeze
and thaw cycles and moist conditions.
ABSORPTION – clay units absorb a certain amount of water that can affect the bond
strength of mortar to brick.
COLOR – the color of clay masonry units depends on the clays used, burning
temperature, and the method of controlling color during the burn.
TEXTURE – The surface texture of a finished clay masonry unit is produced by the
surface of die or mold used to form the unit.
HEAT TRANSMISSION – the ability of clay brick walls to facilitate or resist the
transmission of heat directly influences the surface temperature of interior walls and rooms.
FIRE RESISTANCE – the fire resistance of a material is an indication of its ability to
prevent materials behind it from igniting.

TYPES OF MASONRY WALLS

LOAD BEARING MASONRY WALLS
 A wall that bears the weight of the house above said wall, resting upon it by conducting
its weight.
 These walls can be exterior as well as interior.
 These walls directly transfer loads from the roof to the foundation.
 More economical than the system with frames.
REINFORCED MASONRY WALLS
  Can be load bearing or non-load bearing walls.
 Helps withstand tension forces and heavy compressive loads.
 Reinforcement in walls are at required intervals both horizontally and vertically is used.
HOLLOW MASONRY WALLS
 Used to prevent moisture reaching the interior of the building by providing hollow space
between the walls.
 These walls help in temperature control inside the building.
 These hollow spaces may be coated with water repellant coating or damp-proofing to
further reduce the ingress of moisture.
COMPOSITE MASONRY WALLS
 These walls are constructed with two or more units such as stones/bricks and hollow
bricks.
 This type of masonry wall construction is done for better appearance with economy.
POST-TENSIONED MASONRY WALLS
 These walls are constructed to strengthen the masonry walls against the forces that may
induce tension in the wall.
 These walls are constructed from the foundation level and post-tensioning rods are
anchored into the foundation.

MASONRY CAVITY WALLS

 It is a masonry wall constructed of an interior and exterior wall that are connected by
metal ties and separated with an air space of at least 2in., and no more than 4.5in. in
width.
 Cavity walls most often use the inner wall to carry structural loads and the outer one to
resist weathering.

MASONRY UNIT POSITIONS

Stretcher is a unit that is positioned with its bottom side in mortar and its face in the
plane of the wall.
Header is a unit that has its bottom bedded in mortar and its end placed in the plane of
the wall.
Rowlock is a unit that has its end in the face of the wall and its back side bedded in
mortar.
Soldier is a unit with its end bedded in mortar and its face positioned vertically in the
plane of the wall.
 Sailor is a unit that has its end bedded in mortar, and either its top or bottom in the plane
of the wall.
Shiner is a unit that has its face or back bedded in mortar, and top or bottom oriented
horizontally with the face of the wall.
MORTAR
 A mixture of sand, lime, water, and cement.
 Can fill and seal irregular gaps between masonry units.
 A workable paste used to bind building blocks together.
FUNCTIONS OF MORTAR
 To bind materials together
 To provide a level or smooth finish
 To provide against weathering
 To improve thermal insulation of walls
 To repair and renovate constructions
TYPES OF MORTAR
 TYPE M MORTAR – it is used for reinforced masonry.
 TYPE S MORTAR – it is used for reinforced and unreinforced masonry and
has high tensile bond strength.
 TYPE N MORTAR – it is used for general interior purposes involving
masonry load bearing walls.
 TYPE O MORTAR – it is used for general interior purposes such as for
non-load bearing walls.
PROPERTIES OF PLASTIC MORTAR
 WORKABILITY – is a term used to describe the condition of mortar that
will spread easily.
 WATER RETENTION – Mortar must have good water retention to resist
rapid loss of mixing water to the air or an absorptive masonry unit.
 MORTAR FLOW TEST – The water retention limit of mortar is measured
by both initial flow and flow following laboratory suction test.
PROPERTIES OF HARDENED MORTAR
 BOND STRENGTH – It refers to the degree of contact between mortar and
masonry units as well as the tensile bond strength available for resisting
forces that tend to pull masonry units apart.
 DURABILITY – Mortar needs the specified durability to withstand
weathering forces.
  COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH – The compressive strength of mortar
depends mainly on the type and quantity of cementations material used.
 APPEARANCE – The mortar joints in a wall should have a uniform color or
shade.
GROUT
 A high-slump concrete consisting of cement, lime, sand, fine gravel, and water.
 A particularly fluid form of concrete used to fill gaps.
FUNCTIONS OF GROUT
 Bonds masonry units
 Bonds the reinforcing steel to the masonry
 Improves the overturning resistance by increasing the weight
 Increases fire resistance
 Increases bearing area
PLASTER
 A building material used for the protective and/or decorative coating of walls and
ceilings.
 A soft mixture of sand, cement, lime, and water for spreading on structures to form a
smooth hard surface when dried.

MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
Masonry construction encompasses the use of clay brick, concrete masonry units, stone,
or structural tile. While each masonry material has specific requirements associated with its use,
construction techniques are similar for all masonry assemblies.
Openings in masonry walls, must be bridged over by some method to support the
masonry above. Beams, lintels, and arches are used to span openings in masonry walls. These
elements work to transfer the loads above the opening to the wall and foundations below.
Masonry units are generally rectangular in shape, allowing them to be placed into a wall
in a variety of positions. Varying the orientation and positioning of units enables designers to
not only satisfy the wall’s structural requirements, but also to create distinctive effects and
patterns. Masonry walls are laid in courses, horizontal rows of masonry units. How a masonry
unit is oriented within a wall construction is defined by six distinct positions.
 TESTING AND SAMPLING
Shake Table Test – An experimental platform that stimulates earthquake motion to
verify seismic performance on building structures
Compressive Strength Test – It is done by crushing the units individually until they
break. The pressure required to crush them is noted and the average compressive strength is
stated in N/mm2 or MPa.
Grout Slump Test – The consistency of grout may range from stiff to fluid, depending
upon the nature of the grouting job at hand.
 TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
MANILA CAMPUS

CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS AND TESTING
CE 405
CE41FA2

“Masonry”
WRITTEN REPORT

SUBMITTED BY:

Leader: TAN, ALEXA RHAIN S. ___________________

Members:

GALANG, KIM G. ____________________

GASAL, MEIJI IZEN V. ____________________

RIVERA, VINCENT C. ____________________

TOMAS, RENVEMARK P. ____________________

SUBMITTED TO:

ENGR. ARIEL B. MORALES

DATE SUBMITTED:
FEBRUARY 11, 2019