Estimating in Building Construction

Chapter 11 MASONARY
 GENERAL
• The term masonry encompasses all the materials used by masons in a project,
such as block, brick, clay, tile, or stone.
• The mason is also responsible for the installation of lintels, metal wall
reinforcing, weep holes, precast concrete, stone sills and coping, and manhole
and catch basin block.
 Lintels
Metal Wall Reinforcement

Catch Basin Block

Weep Holes

Stone Sills
 SPECIFICATION
• Specifications should be carefully checked for the size of the unit, type of
bond, color, and shape.
• Simply because a particular unit is specified does not mean it is available in a
particular area.
• The estimator must check with the local manufacturer and suppliers to ensure
the availability of all items, their compliance with the specifications, and the
standards established by the local building code.
 SPECIFICATION
• Many masonry accessories such as lintels and flashing, which are built into the
wall, must be installed by the masons.
• The general contractor needs to verify whether the masonry subcontractor
has included these items in his quote.
• Large precast concrete lintels may require the use of special equipment, and
steel angle lintels often require cutting of the masonry units.
 LABOR
The amount of time required for a mason (with the assistance of helpers) to lay a
masonry unit varies with the
(1) size, weight, and shape of the unit;
(2) bond (pattern);
(3) number of openings;
(4) whether the walls are straight or have jogs in them;
(5) distance the units must be moved (both horizontally and vertically); and
(6) the shape and color of the mortar joint.
BONDS (PATTERNS)
BONDS (PATTERNS)
BONDS (PATTERNS)
 BONDS (PATTERNS)
• The least expensive bond (pattern) is the running bond.
• Another popular bond is the stacked bond; this type of bond will increase
labor costs by as much as 50 percent if used instead of the running bond.
• Various ashlar patterns may also be required; these may demand several sizes
laid up to create a certain effect.
BRICK BONDS
BRICK BONDS
MORTAR JOINTS
CONCRETE BLOCKS
ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
 ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
In working up the quantity takeoff, the estimator must separate masonry
according to
1. Size of the units
2. Shape of the units
3. Colors of the units
4. Type of bond (pattern)
5. Shape of the mortar joints
6. Colors of the mortar joints
7. Any other special requirements (such as fire rating)
 ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
Determine the quantity of concrete block required for the west wall of the small
commercial building found in Figure are excerpts from those drawings and are
helpful in determining the quantity of concrete block
ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
ESTIMATING CONCRETE MASONARY
 CLAY MASONARY
• Clay masonry includes brick and hollow tile. Brick is considered a solid
masonry unit, whereas tile is a hollow masonry unit.
• Brick is considered a solid masonry unit even if it contains cores, as long as the
core unit is less than 25 percent of the cross-sectional area of the unit.
• Hollow tile is classified as either structural clay tile or structural facing tile.
• When the units are designed to be laid up with the cells in a horizontal
position, they are referred to as side construction; with end construction the
units are laid with the cells in a vertical position.
SPECIFICATION OF BRICKS
SPECIFICATION OF BRICKS
 ESTIMATING BRICKS
• The first thing to be determined in estimating the quantity of brick is the size
of the brick and the width of the mortar joint.
• They are both necessary to determine the number of bricks per square foot of
wall area and the quantity of mortar.
• Brick is sold by the thousand units, so the final estimate of materials required
must be in the number of units required.
 ESTIMATING BRICKS
• To determine the number of bricks required for a given project, the first step
is to obtain the length and height of all walls to be faced with brick and then
calculate the area of wall.
• Once the number of square feet has been determined, the number of bricks
can be calculated.
• This calculation varies depending on the size of the brick, width of the mortar
joint, and style of bond required.
ESTIMATING BRICKS
LABOR HOURS TO LAY 1000 UNITS
 HOMEWORK
• Specifications Tile
• Estimating Tiles
• Stone Masonry
• Specification Stone
• Estimating Stones
 MORTAR
• The mortar used for masonry units may consist of portland cement, mortar,
sand, and hydrated lime; or of masonry cement and sand.
• The amounts of each material required vary depending on the proportions of
the mix selected, the thickness of the mortar joint (3/8 inch is a common joint
thickness, but 1/4- and 1/2-inch joints are also used), and the color of the
mortar.
 CONTROL JOINTS
• A control joint is a straight vertical joint that cuts the masonry wall from top to
bottom.
• The horizontal distance varies from 1/2 to about 2 inches.
• The joint must also be filled with some type of material; materials usually
specified are caulking, neoprene and molded rubber, and copper and
aluminum.
• These materials are sold by the linear foot and in a variety of shapes.
 WALL TIES
• Wall ties are used to tie the outer wythe with the inner wythe.
• They allow the mason to construct one wythe of wall to a given height before
working on the other wythe, resulting in increased productivity.
• Adjustable wall ties are among the most popular, as they may be used where
the coursing of the inner and outer wythes is not lined up.
• Noncorrosive metals or galvanized steel may be used.
WALL TIES
 FLASHING
• The flashing built into the walls is generally installed by
the mason.
• It is installed to keep moisture out and to divert any
moisture that does get in back to the outside of the
building.
• Flashing may be required under sills, over openings for
doors and windows, at intersections of roof and masonry
wall, at floor lines, and at the bases of the buildings (a
little above grade) to divert moisture.
• Materials used include copper, aluminum, copper-backed
paper, copper and polyethylene, plastic sheeting
(elastomeric compounds), wire and paper, and copper and
fabric.
 WEEP HOLES
• In conjunction with the flashing at the base of the building (above grade
level), weep holes are often provided to drain any moisture that might have
gotten through the outer wythe.
• The maximum horizontal spacing for weep holes is about 3 feet, but
specifications often require closer spacing.
• The holes may be formed by using short lengths of cord inserted by the
mason or by welloiled rubber tubing.
 LINTELS
• A lintel is the horizontal member that supports the masonry above a wall
opening.
• In other words, it spans the opening.
• Materials used for lintels include steel angle iron, composite steel sections,
lintel block (shaped like a U) with reinforcing bars and filled with concrete, and
precast concrete.
• The lintels are usually set in place by masons as they lay up the wall.
• It is not unusual for several types of lintels, in a variety of sizes, to be required
on any one project
 SILLS
• Sills are the members at the bottoms of window or door openings.
• Materials used are brick, stone, tile, and precast concrete.
• These types of sills are installed by the mason, although the precast concrete
may be supplied under a different portion of the specifications.
• The brick and tile sills are priced by the number of units required, and the
stone and precast concrete sills are sold by the linear foot.
 COPING
• The coping covers the top course of a wall to protect it from the weather.
• It is most often used on parapet walls.
• Masonry materials used include coping block, stone, tile, and precast
concrete.
Thank You