Specification for Brickwork Class I

● Bricks - All bricks shall be of first class of standard

specifications made of good brick earth thoroughly burnt.
Bricks shall be regular in shape and shall be free from
cracks, chips, flaws and lumps of any kind. Bricks shall have
a minimum crashing strength of 105 kg per sq cm (1500 lbs
per sq in).
● Mortar - Mortar shall be specified and materials of mortar
shall be of standard specifications.
○ For cement mortar cement shall be fresh portland
cement of standard specifications.
○ Sand shall be sharp, clean and free from organic and
foreign matters. Proportion of cement sand mortar
may be of (1:3 to 1:6 as specified).
○ Fresh mixed mortar shall be used before setting
starts, old and stale mortar shall not be used.
● Soaking of brick - Bricks shall be fully soaked in clean water by submerging in a tank for
a period of 12 hours immediately before use. Soaking shall be continued till air bubbling
is ceased.
● Mortar Laying - Bricks shall be well bonded and laid in English bond unless otherwise
specified. Every course shall be truly horizontal and wall shall be truly in plumb. Vertical
joints of consecutive course shall not come directly over one another, vertical joints in
alternate course shall come directly over one another. Closers shall be of clean cut bricks
and shall be placed near the ends of walls but not at the other edge. Mortar joints shall
not exceed 6 mm (4") in thickness and joints shall be fully filled with mortar. Bricks shall
be laid with frogs upward except in the top course where frogs shall be placed
downwards.
● Curing - The brickwork shall be kept wet for a period of at least 10 days after laying. At
the end of day's work the tops of walls shall be flooded with water by making small weak
mortar edging to contain at least 2.5 cm (1") deep water .
● Protection - The brickwork shall be protected from the effect of sun, rain, frost, etc.,
during the constructions and uptil such time it is green and likely to be damaged.

● Scaffolding - Necessary and suitable scaffolding shall be provided to facilitate the

construction of brick wall. Scaffolding shall be sound and strong and supports and
members sufficiently strong so as to withstand all loads likely to come upon them.

● Measurement - Brickwork shall be measured in cu m (cu ft). Different kinds of brickwork

with different mortar shall be taken under separate items. The thickness of wall shall be
taken as multiple of half brick as half brick 10 cm, 1 brick 20 cm, 1½ brick 30 cm and so
on. The rate shall be for the complete work including scaffolding and all tools and plants.
Specifications for Centering & Shuttering
● Shuttering shall be either of hard wooden planking 30 mm (1¼") thick (or of steel plates
stiffened by angle iron). The shuttering shall be supported on battens, beams, props and
wedges and properly cross braced together so as to make the form work sufficiently
rigid strong and stable to support the wet concrete work.
● Beams for centering shall be carried and supported on the walls with double wedges
underneath and supported at intervals with props. Props shall consist of ballies or brick
pillars in mud mortar.
● The shuttering shall be kept clear of wall bearing and made to rest on cross-beams or
battens. The shuttering shall have smooth and even surface and its joints shall be closed
tight and shall not permit leakage of cement mortar. Inner face of shuttering shall be
applied with a wash of moulded oil or other approved materials to prevent adherence of
the concrete.
● For slabs and beams small camber shall be given in the shuttering. Camber of 1 cm per
2.50 m or ½" per 10 ft (1 in 1250) with a maximum 4 cm (1½").
● Centering and shuttering shall not be removed before 14 days in general (4 days for
R.C.C. columns, 10 days for roof slab and 14 days for beams).
● Centering and shuttering shall be removed slowly and carefully without any shock or
vibration by slackening and removing the wedges gradually in such a manner that no
part of the concrete is disturbed or damaged.
● Centering and shuttering shall be measured in sq m, and the surface area in contact with
concrete shall be measured.