SECTION 2500 – BRICKWORKS FOR STRUCTURES

Page No.
2501 SCOPE 25-1
2502 MATERIALS 25-1
2503 SOAKING OF BRICKS 25-2
2504 LAYING OF BRICKS 25-2
2505 JOINTS 25-2
2506 JOINTING WITH EXISTING STRUCTURES 25-2
2507 CURING 25-2
2508 SCAFFOLDING 25-3
2509 CONDITION OF EQUIPMENT 25-3
2510 FINISHING OF SURFACES 25-3
2511 TEST AND STANDARD OF ACCEPTANCE 25-4
2512 MEASUREMENT 25-4
2513 PAYMENT 25-5
SECTION 2500 –BRICKWORKS FOR STRUCTURES

2501. SCOPE

This Section covers the furnishing of materials and construction of brick works
for structures in accordance with the detail shown on the Drawing and these
Specifications or as directed by the Engineer.

2502. MATERIALS

(1) Bricks

Burnt clay bricks shall conform to the requirements of NS-1/2035 except

that minimum compressive strength when tested flat shall not be less than 8
N/mm2 for individual bricks and 10 N/mm2 for average 5 specimens and that
the size may be according to local practice with a tolerance of ± 5 percent.

(2) Mortar

Mortar shall comply with IS 2250-1981; Code of Practice for preparation

and use of masonry mortar. The mortar used in work shall have the strength
not less than 5 N/mm2 or 7.5 N/mm2 at 28 days as specified.

However, if provided in the Contract, cement and sand may also be mixed in
specified proportions. Cement shall be proportioned only by weight, by
taking its unit weight as 1.44 tonne per cubic metre and sand shall be
proportioned by volume after making due allowance for bulking.

Sand shall comply with Clause 613. Cement shall comply with Clause 614.

The mixing shall be done in a mechanical mixer unless hand-mixing is

permitted by the Engineer. If hand-mixing is allowed, the operation shall be
carried out on a clear watertight platform. In the required proportion cement
and sand shall be first mixed dry to obtain an uniform colour. Then required
quantity of water shall be added and the mortar shall be mixed to produce
workable consistency. The mortar shall be mixed for at least three minutes
after addition of water in the case of mechanical mixing. In the case of hand
mixing, the mortal shall be hoed back and forth for about 10 minutes after
addition of water in order to obtain uniform consistency.

Only that quantity of mortar shall be mixed at a time which can be used
completely before it becomes unworkable. Any mortar that has become
unworkable due to loss of water before elapsing the initial setting time of
cement, shall be rewet to make it workable and shall be used in the works.
On no account mortar shall be used after elapsing the initial setting time of
cement.

2503. SOAKING OF BRICKS

 Bricks shall be soaked in water for a minimum period of one hour before use.
When bricks are soaked they shall be removed from the tank sufficiently in
advance so that at the time of laying they are skin dry. Such soaked bricks shall
be stacked on a clean place where they are not spoilt by dirt, earth, etc.

2504. LAYING OF BRICKS

All bricks work shall be laid in English bond, even and true to line, plumb, level
and all joints accurately kept. Whole bricks used on the face shall be selected
ones of uniform size and true rectangular face.

Bricks shall be laid with frogs up, if any, on a full bed of mortar. When laying,
bricks shall be slightly pressed so that the mortar gets into all the surface pores of
bricks to ensure proper adhesion. All joints shall be properly flushed and packed
with mortar so that no hollow spaces are left.

Before laying bricks in foundation, a layer of not less than 12 mm of mortar shall
be spread to make the surface on which the brick work will be laid even.
Immediately thereafter, the first course of bricks shall be laid.

The brick work shall be built in uniform layers. Corners and other advanced work
shall be raked back. Brick work shall be done true to plumb or in specified batter.
No part of it, during construction, shall rise more than one metre above the
general construction level, to avoid unequal settlement and improper jointing.

Toothing may be done where future extension is contemplated but shall be used
as an alternative to raking back.

2505. JOINTS

The thickness of joints shall not exceed 10 mm.

2506. JOINTING WITH EXISTING STRUCTURES

When fresh masonry is to be placed against existing surface of structures, the

surface shall be cleaned of all loose materials, roughened and wetted as directed
by the Engineer so as to effect a good bond with the new work.

2507. CURING

Green work shall be protected from rain by suitable covering. Masonry work in
cement mortar shall be kept constantly moist on all faces for a minimum period of
seven days. The top of the masonry work shall be left flooded with water so as
not to disturb or washout the green mortar.
 During hot weather, all finished or partly completed work shall be covered or
wetted in such a manner as to prevent rapid drying of the brick work.

2508. SCAFFOLDING

The scaffolding shall be sound and strong to withstand all loads likely to come
upon it. The holes which provide resting space for horizontal members shall not
be left in masonry under one metre in width or immediately near the skew backs
of arches. The holes left in the masonry work for supporting the scaffolding shall
be filled and made good.

2509. CONDITION OF EQUIPMENT

All equipment used for mixing or transporting mortar and bricks shall be clean
and free from set mortar, dirt or other injurious foreign substances.

2510. FINISHING OF SURFACES

(1) General

The surfaces can be finished by 'jointing', 'pointing' or 'plastering', as

specified. For a surface which is to be subsequently plastered or pointed,
the joints shall be squarely raked out to a depth, of 15 mm while the mortar
is still green. The raked joints shall be well brushed to remove dust and
loose particles and the surface shall be thoroughly washed with water,
cleaned and wetted.

The mortar for finishing shall be prepared as per Clause 2502.

(2) Jointing

In jointing, the face joints of the mortar shall be worked out while still green
to give a finished surface flush with the face of the brick-work. The faces of
brick-work shall be cleaned to remove any splashes of mortar during the
course of raising the brick-work.

(3) Pointing

For pointing, the mortar shall be filled and pressed into the raked out joints,
before giving the required finish. The pointing shall then be finished to
proper type given on the Drawing. If type of pointing is not mentioned on
the Drawing the same shall be ruled pointing. For ruled pointing after the
mortar has been filled and pressed into the joints and finished off level with
the edges of the bricks, it shall while still green be ruled along the centre
with a half round tool of such width as work shall may be specified by the
 Engineer. The superfluous mortar shall then be cut off from the edges of the
lines and the surface of the masonry shall also be cleaned of all mortar

(4) Plastering

Plastering shall be started from top and worked down. All putlog holes shall
be properly filled in advance of the plastering as the scaffolding is being
taken down. Wooden screeds 75 mm wide and of the thickness of the
plaster shall be fixed vertically 2.5 to 4 metres apart to act as gauges and
guides in applying the plaster. The mortar shall be laid on the wall between
the screeds using the plaster's float and pressing the mortar so that the raked
joints are properly filled. The plaster shall then be finished off with a
wooden straight edge reaching across the screeds. The straight edge shall be
worked on the screeds with a small upward and sideways motion 50 mm or
75 mm at a time. Finally, the surface shall be finished off with a plaster's
wooden float. Metal floats shall not be used.

When recommencing the plastering beyond the work suspended earlier the
edges of the old plaster shall be scraped, cleaned and wetted before plaster is
applied to the adjacent areas.

No portion of the surface shall be left out in a condition to be patched up

later on.

The plaster shall be finished to a true and plumb surface and to the proper
degree of smoothness as required by the Engineer.

The average thickness of plaster shall not be less than the specified
thickness. The minimum thickness over any portion of the surface shall not
be less than the specified thickness minus 3 mm.

Any cracks which appear in the surface and all portions, which sound
hollow when tapped, or are found to be soft or otherwise defective, shall be
cut out in rectangular shape and re-done as directed by the Engineer.

(5) Curing of Finishes

Curing shall be started as soon as the mortar used for finishing has hardened
sufficiently not to be damaged when watered. It shall be kept wet for a
period of at least 7 days. During this period, it shall be suitable protected
from all damages.

2511. TEST AND STANDARD OF ACCEPTANCE

Before laying any mortar, the Contractor shall make three sets of mortar test
cubes from each sourced of sand to demonstrate the compliance of the
mortar to the specified strength. Each set shall comprise two cubes, one to
be tested at 7 days and the other to be tested at 28 days. Testing shall be in
 accordance with IS 2250. During construction the Contractor shall make
and test mortar cubes at the rate of three for every 10m3 or part of it of brick
work to assess the strength of the mortar subject to a minimum of 3 sample
cubes for a days work. The brick shall be tested for compressive strength
and water absorption as per NS-1/2035 and shall meet the requirement of
this Specification.

2512. MEASUREMENT

All brick work shall be measured in cubic metres.

The work of plastering and pointing shall be measured in square metres

separately.

2513. PAYMENT

The brick works, plastering and pointing shall be paid at their respective contract
unit rate which shall be the full and the final compensation to the Contractor as
per Clause 112 to complete the work as per these Specifications.

Payment for Sub-standard Works

Brick work not meeting the requirements of the relevant Specifications (termed as
substandard brick work) shall be paid as substandard work provided it is accepted
by the Engineer as substandard work. For the acceptance of such work the
Engineer may require further investigation and/or tests which the Contractor shall
conduct at his own cost. Acceptance or rejection of such work is the sole
responsibility of the Engineer and his decision in this respect shall be the final and
binding upon the Contractor.

If accepted as substandard work the payment for such work shall be made at the
contract unit rate reduced by the formula given below

Design strength of mortar - Observed strength of mortar

Percent of reduction, P = X 100
Design strength of mortar

The reduced contract unit rates of substandard brick work and other items
contained shall be the full and the final compensation to the Contractor