Wall systems

Walls
• After the foundations have been completed the walls are set out and
construction commences.
Masonry
• Masonry is the building of
structures from individual units
laid in and bound together by
mortar.
• The common materials of
masonry construction are brick,
stone such as marble, granite,
limestone, concrete block,
glass block, and tile. Masonry is
generally a highly durable form
of construction. However, the
materials used, the quality of
the mortar and workmanship,
and the pattern the units are
put in, can strongly affect the
durability of the overall
masonry construction.
Strength of brick masonry depends on –
1. Quality and strength of bricks
2. Type of mortar used
3. The method of bonding adopted

Strength of brick wall depends on –

1. Slenderness ratio of the wall
2. Lateral pressure due to wind
3. Degree of soundness in construction
 Mortar
• Mortar is a material used
in masonry to bind
construction blocks
together and fill the gaps
between them. The
blocks may be stone,
brick etc. Mortar is a
mixture of sand, a binder
such as cement or lime,
and water and is applied
as a paste which then sets
hard. Mortar can also be
used to fix, or point
masonry when the original
mortar has washed away.
Masonry mortar is composed of one or more cementitious
materials, clean well-graded masonry sand, and sufficient water
to produce a plastic, workable mixture.
Types of mortar used in masonry work –
1. Cement mortar
2. Lime mortar
3. Cement-lime mortar
4. Lime-surkhi mortar
5. Mud mortar
Types of bricks used in masonry work –
1. Traditional bricks –
Length – 20 to 25 cm, Width – 10 to 13 cm, Height – 5 to 7.5 cm
common size – 23cm × 11.4cm × 7.6cm
2. Modular bricks –
normal size – 20 × 10 × 10 cm
actual size – 19 × 9 × 9 cm
3. Concrete blocks
Length 40 cm, Width 20 cm, Height – 15 cm
Walls
Walls can be classified in a number of ways:-
• Solid
• Cavity
• Internal
• External
• Load bearing or
• Non load bearing
• Load bearing – supporting roofs, floors etc.
• Non load bearing – Dividing spaces
Main functions of walls
1. Strength
2. Stability
3. Weather exclusion
4. Thermal Insulation
5. Sound Insulation
6. Durability
7. Fire resistance
8. Appearance
 Bonding of Brickwork / Blockwork
Bonding of brickwork is the LOAD
arrangement of brickwork in a wall,
column or pier which will give maximum
overlap and no continuous vertical
joints. The purpose of bonding is to:-
1. Obtain maximum strength whilst distributing
the loads carried by the walls.
2. Ensure lateral stability and resistance to side
thrusts.
3. Create an acceptable appearance
Possible settlement
Unbonded walls – Comparatively weak and liable to fail under load or lateral
thrust.
Bonding of Brickwork / Blockwork
• Bonded wall – load is distributed over the whole wall and has greater
resistance to side thrust.
LOAD
Standard brick sizes
Length + one mortar joint =225mm

Width + one mortar joint =112.5mm

Height + one mortar joint =75mm

Mortar joint thickness = 10mm

SPREAD OF LOAD
Technical terms used in masonry
1. Header 10. Perpends
2. Stretcher 11. Bat
3. Bond 12. Closer
4. Course 13. King closer
5. Face 14. Queen closer
6. Back 15. Quoin
7. Racking back 16. Frog
8. Toothing 17. Beveled closer
9. Lap 18. Mitered closer
Stretcher Bond
• This is the simplest and most widely used bond. It is used for half
brick walls and cavity walls. The bricks must lap over each other in
successive courses in a fashion similar to the one shown below.

Half lapped
Formation of a corner in stretcher bond

½ bat to form Racking-back

stopped end
Return corner of a cavity wall in stretcher bond including wall
ties and DPC
Cavity

Wall tie

Quoin

Perpendicular
D.P.C.
mortar joint

Horizontal
mortar joint
Stretcher bond as explained previously.

English bond (plural English bonds)

(masonry) In bricklaying, an
arrangement of bricks such that one
course has the short sides of
the bricks (headers) facing outwards,
and the next course has the long sides
of the bricks (stretchers) facing
outwards.

Flemish bond is a pattern of brick

laying which alternate between
stretcher (long side of the brick) with
the header (short side of the brick).
Wall Ties
• There are a large variety of different types of wall ties, but they all
have two basic requirements of:-
(a)Tying the outer and inner leaf of the cavity wall together.
(b)Prevent moisture passing from the outer to the inner skin of
brickwork.

• Most wall ties are currently

made from stainless-steel or
nylon.
Cavity walls in block construction
A cavity wall consists of two ½ Section through a Cavity Wall
brick thick leaves with a cavity
between them. The outer leaf in
conjunction with the cavity acts
as a barrier to moisture. The Wall tie
Inner leaf supports most of the load
from floors and the roof. If heavier
Outer leaf
loads than usual have to be facing brick or
supported the inner leaf can be built block and
render.
one brick thick or more. There is no D.P.C.

need to increase the thickness of the

outer leaf. The two leaves of the wall must be tied together with
Stainless-steel cavity wall ties.
 Cavity walls in brick construction with insulation
• This wall is similar in construction to the first cavity wall, the only
exception being the inclusion of insulation.
60mm thick insulation
• Wall ties are manufactured from stainless steel.

Insulation

Vertical DPC at
window and
door jambs Plaster
Timber stud walls
• Stud partitions are still extensively used for internal walls of domestic
buildings.
• These are non load bearing internal dividing walls which are easy to
construct, lightweight, adaptable and can be clad and filled with
various materials to give different finishes and properties.
• General construction consists of 100 x 50mm or 100 x 75mm sole plate
and head plate. Vertical members or studs made from 100 x 38mm or 100
x 50mm members are nailed in between at 400mm centres.
• The spacing is to suit the plasterboard or other cladding material.
• Nogging or bridging pieces are inserted between the studs to stiffen the
partition.
• The timber frame is then covered with plasterboard on both sides and
finished with a 3 to 5mm coat of plaster

Door

Plaster Board
100 x 50mm stud
100 x 50mm head plate
Ceiling joist

Plaster board Door

opening

Floor joist
100 x 50mm studs at 400c/s
Tools for brick-layer
• Hammer
• Line and pin
• Brick axe
• Plumb rule
• Spirit level
• Mason’s square
• Trowel
• Two feet four fold rule
 Retaining wall
1. Wall built to resist the pressure of liquid, earth filling, sand
or other granular material filled behind it after it is built.

2. It is commonly required in the construction of hill roads,

masonry dams, abutments, and wing walls of bridges and so
on
 Conditions of stability of retaining walls
A satisfactory retaining wall must meet the following
requirements:

1. The wall should be structurally capable of resisting the

pressure applied to it

2. The section of the wall should be so proportioned that it

will not overturn by the lateral pressure

3. The wall should be safe from consideration of sliding

4. The weight of wall together with the force resulting from
the earth pressure action on it should not stress its
foundation to a value greater than safe bearing capacity of
the soil on which it is found.

5. It is important to prevent accumulation of water behind a

retaining wall. The backing material should be suitably
drained by providing weep holes.

6. As far as possible long masonry walls should be provided

King closer Queen closer