List of Contents

• Brick Masonry
• Some terms used in masonry
• Brick Bonds
• Defects in Brick Masonry
• Principles to be followed in Brick Masonry

PRESENTED BY
AR. VASAVI.C

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Masonry:
Masonry may be defined as the construction of building units bonded together with
mortar. The building units (commonly known as masonry units) may be stones, bricks or
precast blocks of concrete. When stones are used as the building units or building blocks, we
have stone masonry. Similarly, in brick masonry, bricks are used as the building units. A
composite masonry is a construction in more than one type of building units.
Masonry is normally used for the construction of foundations, walls, columns and other
similar structural components of buildings. Depending upon the type of building units used,
masonry may be of the following types:
1. Stone masonry
2. Brick masonry
3. Hollow concrete blocks masonry
4. Reinforced brick masonry
5. Composite masonry

Definition of Brick Masonry:

The art of laying bricks in mortar in a proper systematic manner gives homogeneous
mass which can withstand forces without disintegration, called Brick masonry.

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Principles to be followed in Construction of a Brick Masonry
1. Brick to be used should be properly burnt and wetted before use
2. All the bricks should be laid with their frog upwards, so that the mortar should be properly fitted in the frog and should
form a key with the mortar joint of the succeeding course.
3. A systematic bond must be maintained throughout the construction work and the vertical joints of successive layers
should be staggered. The vertical joints of the alternate courses should be in one line.
4. All the joints of the masonry should be of uniform thickness and the thickness of each joint should not exceed 1cm
5. All finished work should be kept wet for about 10days after its completion
6. The faces of the walls should be constructed truly vertical and their verticality should be tested at regular intervals by
means of a plumb – bob
7. The upper surface of the wall should be wetted properly before a new layer is laid over it, so as to form a bed for the
new work
8. When a cross wall is to be connected to the main wall, recesses called loathing, should be provided in the altenate
courses, in the main wall, so as to have a proper bond or connection between the two walls.
9. The masonry should be raised uniformly and no portion of the masonry be raised more than 1.5 m in height in a single
day, to prevent unequal settlement of masonry
10. In the case of very long walls, which are not approachable, the wall should be constructed by providing stepped ends
called racking back
11. As a general rule, brick work should be suspended during fr0$W Weather’ as the stability of the same is endangered
due to the disintegration of mortar when It is wet. But when it is unavoidable and the work is urgent, the brick
masonry should be carried in cement mortar the cement sets more quickly than lime. The entire work should be
covered during night time, when the work is suspended.
12. Brick bats to be used to a minimum.
13. When timber or iron work is to be embedded in the wall, the timber must be coated with coaltar and the iron work to
be laid either in cement mortar or cement concrete.
14. When buttresses or pilasters are to be attached to a wall, they should be constructed along with the wall providing
sufficient bonding.
15. The mortar to be used in the masonry should be as stiff as possible. This will also help in preventing the unequal
settlement of masonry.
16. To protect the mortar joints from the atmospheric action, they should be covered by a rendering coat of plastering 4
immediately after the construction is over.
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no bats are required 14
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BOND AT CONNECTIONS

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 Defects in Brick Masonry

The Brickwork may develop the defects mainly due to the following four reasons:
1. Corrosion of embedded fixtures like iron and steel pipes
2. Crystallization of salts from bricks
3. Shrinkage on drying
4. Sulphate attack

Typical structures in Brickwork

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Definitions of some terms used in Masonry

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The End
(BRICKS)
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