Brick Masonry

What Is Brick Masonry?

Brick Masonry is the systematic arrangement of brick and bonding with cement
mortar or Lime mortar. The strength of the brick masonry depends upon (i) the
Quality of the bricks, (ii) the Quality of the mortar and (iii) the Method of
bonding used

Terminology

Header

A brick laid with its width W parallel to the face or direction of a wall is known as a
Header or a brick laid with its Length L perpendicular to the front of the wall is known
as a header. It’s the shorter square face of the brick which measures 9cm x 9cm.

Stretcher

It is a brick laid with its length parallel to the face of the wall.

Course

The course is a horizontal layer of brick masonry

Header Course

It is a course or layer of brickwork showing only the header on the exposed face of
the wall.

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Stretcher Course

it is a course or layer of brickwork showing the stretchers on the exposed face of the
wall.

Bed

The bed is the lower surface of a brick in each course.

Bed Joint

Bed joints are the horizontal layer of mortar on which bricks are laid.

Lap

Lap is the horizontal distance between the vertical joints of successive courses.

Quoin

It is a corner of the exterior of the brickwork.

Perpends

The vertical Joints either in the length or in cross directions are known as perpends,

Arrises

Arrises are the edge formed by the intersection of plane surfaces of brick.

Frog

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A frog is a depression on the top face of a brick. It is made for forming a key for the
mortar.

Brickbat

A brickbat is a piece of brick designated according to its length. If it is half the length
of the brick, it is called a half bat.

A three-quarter (3/4) bat is one whose length is 3/4 of a brick.

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Closer

It is a piece of brick used to close up the bond at the end of the brick course. It
prevents vertical joints of successive courses from coming one over the other, There
are three types of closers used

 King closer
 Queen closer
 bevelled closer
King Closer

It is obtained by cutting a triangular portion of the brick such that half a header and
half a stretcher are obtained on the adjoining cut faces.

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Queen Closer

It is a piece of brick obtained by cutting a brick longitudinally into 2 equal parts. it is

placed next to the queen header in the header course.

Bevelled Closer

Bevelled closer is obtained by cutting a triangular portion of the brick, joining half the
header and full stretcher. It is used for splayed brickwork like jambs of doors and
windows.

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Squint Quoin

It is a brick cut such that an angle other than 90° is formed in the plan.

Principles Of Brick Masonry Construction

Precautions to be observed in brick masonry

IS: 1077 Quality

Bricks should be well burnt, strong, and durable, with sharp edges and standard
dimensions of uniform colour. They should satisfy IS 1077:1992 requirements

Soaking In Water

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Bricks should be soaked in water just before laying. This is to prevent the absorption
of moisture from the mortar and for better adherence of bricks to mortar. (For lime
and mud mortars, bricks should not be soaked in water)

Laying Horizontally With Frogs Facing Up

Bricks should be laid horizontally with frogs facing up, to facilitate good bonding of
bricks.

Lapping

Anyone brick should lap over at least two other bricks in the course below it.

Height Of Construction

The height of the brick masonry constructed per day should not exceed 10 layers or
1m to avoid non-uniform settlement of brick masonry.

Vertical Joints

Vertical joints in alternate courses should be in one vertical line.

Length Of Construction

The length of construction should not be more than 1m at a time. After this, the brick
masonry should be constructed vertically.

Checking

All vertical faces should be frequently checked with a plumb bob. Also, wall junctions
should be checked for perpendicularity.

Brickbats

In the brickwork, brickbats should not be used except as closers.

Curing

The constructed brick masonry walls should not be used cured for one to two weeks.

Raked Back

The incomplete end of the brickwork is raked back, by stepping the brickwork

Occurrence Of Cracks

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Horizontal and vertical expansion joints should be provided in the walls to reduce the
occurrence of cracks in the walls.

Important Terms Used in Masonry

Masonry is a widely used term in the field of construction. Some of the important terms
related to masonry works that must be known by the construction professionals are discussed
below.

1. Course in Masonry

A course in a masonry structure is the horizontal layer of bricks or stones.

2. Bed in Masonry

A bed is a surface of brick or stone that is perpendicular to the line of action of pressure. In
each course of stone or brick, it represents the bottom surface.

3. Back and Backing in Masonry

The inner surface of the masonry structure like a wall, that is not exposed is called back. The
material that is constructed in the back is called as backing.

4. Face and Facing in Masonry

The exterior surface of the masonry structure like a wall that is exposed outside is called a
face. The material that is forming the face is defined as facing.

5. Hearting of Masonry Structure

The interior portion between the backing and facing of the masonry structure forms the
hearting.

6. Stretcher in Masonry

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The stretcher is the arrangement of brick laid with its length parallel to the face of the wall. A
course that contains a stretcher is called a stretcher bond.

7. Header in Masonry

The header is the arrangement of brick laid with its breadth or the width parallel to the face of
the front direction of the brick or stone masonry wall.

8. Soldiers in Masonry

Bricks laid with its longer sides vertical are called soldiers. A course with soldiers is called a
soldier course. This provides visual interest to the masonry structure. It is a type followed in
brick masonry.

9. Arrises in Brick Masonry

The edges formed by the intersection of the faces of the bricks are called the arises. The
arises formed must be sharp, clean and free from damage.

10. Perpends in Brick Masonry

The perpends are vertical joints that separate the brick unit either lengthwise or cross-
direction wise. In order to achieve good perpends, the vertical joints in alternative courses
must be one above the other.

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 Fig.1. Brick Masonry
Terminologies

11. Lap in Brick Masonry

Lap is defined as the horizontal distance between the vertical joints in successive courses. A
lap length of one-fourth brick length is said to be a good lap in brick masonry.

12. Closer in Brick Masonry

A closer is defined as a piece of brick that is used to close up the bond at the end of the brick
masonry course. This helps to prevent the formation of vertical joints of successive courses in
a single line. Closer need not be specially molded.

13. Queen Closer and King Closer in Masonry

A queen closer is obtained by cutting the brick longitudinally in equal parts. This can also be
made from two-quarter bricks which are designated as quarter closers. This helps to minimize
wastages in masonry construction.

King closer is obtained by cutting a triangular portion of the brick. This on laying provides
half header and half stretcher on the adjoining cut faces. Near the door and window openings
a king closer is used, so that mortar joints can be provided with proper arrangement.

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14. Bat in Brick Masonry

A bat is a piece of brick made and defined with respect to the length of the brick. A bat used
can be either half-bat or three-quarter bat.

15. Plinth in Masonry

A horizontal projection provided at the base of the wall of the building is called a plinth. It
can be made either of stone or brick.

16. Bond

The bond is an overlapping of bricks or stones in the alternative courses of the masonry
structure in order to avoid the continuous vertical joint formation. This hence helps to bind
the individual units together.

17. Quoin in Masonry

Quoin is the corner or exterior angle of the stone or masonry wall.

Fig.2.Quoin in Masonry

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 Fig.3.Quoin in Stone Masonry

18. Cornice in Masonry

A cornice is a horizontal decorative molding provided over a door or a window whose

function is to throw the rainwater away from the building walls. It is provided around the top
edge of an interior wall or pedestal.

19. Sill in Masonry Construction

Sill is a horizontal member of brick, wood, stone or concrete that is provided to give support
for the vertical members of the window.

20. Corbel

Corbel is the extension of one or more courses of stone or brick from the face of the wall. It is
a structural detailing to take up an extra load coming over it.

Fig.6. Corbel
Brick masonry is built with bricks bonded together with mortar. For all permanent
buildings lime or cement mortars are used.

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BRICK MASONRY

Brick masonry is built with bricks bonded together with mortar. For all permanent buildings
lime or cement mortars are used. But for temporary sheds mud mortar may be used. Brick
masonry strength depends on the type of bond and materials used for construction. They play
an important role in providing strength, stability, and durability to the brick masonry.

TYPES OF BRICK MASONRY

The arrangement of bricks in brick wall construction is called brick bonds. Types of bonds in
brick masonry wall construction are classified based on laying and bonding style of bricks in
walls. The bond in brick masonry is developed by the mortar filling between layers of bricks
and in grooves when bricks are laid adjacent to each other and in layers in walls. The various
types of bonds generally used in brick masonry are:

❖ Stretcher Bond: A stretcher is the longer narrow face of the brick. Stretcher bond is also
called as running bond. This type of bond is created when bricks are laid with only their
stretchers showing, overlapping midway with the courses of bricks below and above.
Stretcher bond in the brick is the simplest repeating pattern. But the limitation of stretcher
bond is that it cannot make effective bonding with adjacent bricks in full width thick brick
walls. They are suitably used only for one-half brick thick walls such as for the construction
half brick thick partition wall. Walls constructed with stretcher bonds are not stable enough to
stand alone in case of longer span and height. Stretcher bonds are commonly used in the steel
or reinforced concrete framed structures as the outer facing. These are also used as the outer
facing of cavity walls. Other common applications of such walls are the boundary walls,
gardens etc.

❖ Header Bond: A header is the shorter square face of the brick. Header bond is also known
as heading bond. In header bond brick masonry all the bricks are arranged in the header
courses. This type of bond is useful for the construction of full brick thick walls. In header
bonds, the overlap is kept equal to half width of the brick. To achieve this, three quarter brick
bats are used in alternate courses as quoins.

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❖ English Bond: English bond in brick masonry has alternate courses consisting of headers
and stretchers. Headers are laid centered on the stretchers in course below and each alternate
row is vertically aligned. This is considered to be the strongest bond. Hence it is commonly
used bond for the walls of all thicknesses. To break the continuity of vertical joints, quoin
closer is used in the beginning and end of a wall after first header. A quoin close is a brick cut
lengthwise into two halves and used at corners in brick walls.

❖ Flemish Bond: In this type of bond each course comprises of alternate header and
stretcher. Alternate courses start with stretcher and followed by header. Flemish bond is also
known as Dutch bond. To break the vertical joints queen closers are required, if a course
starts with header. Every header is centrally supported on the stretcher below it. The
thickness of Flemish bond is minimum one full brick. The disadvantage of using Flemish
bond is that construction of Flemish bond is difficult and requires greater skill to lay it
properly as all vertical mortar joints need to be aligned vertically for best effects. In walls
having their thickness equal to odd number of half bricks, bats are used to achieve the bond.
Flemish bonds have better appearance but are weaker than English bonds for load bearing
wall construction. Thus, if the pointing has to be done for brick masonry walls, then Flemish
bond may be used for better aesthetic view. If the walls have to be plastered, then it is better
to use English bond. Flemish bonds may be further classified as:

Single Flemish Bond: It is a combination of English bond and Flemish bond. In this type of
construction, the front exposed surface of wall consists of Flemish bond and the back surface
of the wall consists of English bond in each course. Minimum thickness required for single
Flemish bond is one and a half brick thickness. The main purpose of using single Flemish
bond is to provide greater aesthetic appearance on the front surface with required strength in
the brickwork with English bond.

Double Flemish Bond: Double Flemish bond has the same appearance both in the front and
back elevations, i.e. each course consists of alternate header and stretcher. This type of
bonding is comparatively weaker than English bond.

❖ Garden wall bond: The arrangement of bricks in the English Garden Wall is similar to
that of the English bond except that the heading courses are only inserted at every course

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whereas stretchers are used in bodi consequent courses. In short, the arrangement consists of
one course of headers and three courses of stretchers. The queen closer is placed next to the
queen header of the heading course for giving the necessary lap. The Flemish garden wall
bond has Stretcher, Header & Stretcher Model. It is also known as Sussex Bond. It is also
known as balanced bonding. In the Flemish garden wall bond, it is two types of variation of
Flemish bond one is 3 stretchers in 1 header ratio other is 2 stretchers in 1 header ratio.

❖ Raking Bond: In this bond type, the bonding bricks are laid at any angle except zero or
ninety degrees. This type of arrangement helps to increase the longitudinal stability of thick
walls' built-in English bonds. In this pattern of bonding, the space between the all external
stretchers of a wall is filled using bricks inclined to the face of the wall. Raking bond is
introduced at certain intervals along with the height of any wall. It is of two types:

Diagonal Bond: It is best suited for walls of two to four brick thicknesses. A diagonal bond
is normally introduced at every fifth or seven-course along with the height of the wall. Bricks
in this type of bond are placed end to end in such a way that extreme corners of the sequence
remain in contact with stretchers.

Herringbone bond: This type of bond is suited for very thick walls usually not less than four
bricks thick. In this pattern of brickwork, bricks are laid in course inclined at 45° in 2
directions from the center. This type of bond is also commonly used for brick paving.

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❖ Zigzag bond: Zig Zag Bond is very similar to herring-bone bond. The only difference is
that in this case the bricks are laid in a zig-zag pattern. It is mostly adopted in brick-paved
flooring.

❖ Stack bond: In a stack bond, all the bricks are plainly loaded on top of each other and
held with mortar where all bonds are perfectly aligned. Because of its weak masonry
structure and less strength, Stack bonds are perfect for decorative purposes. This bond is a
non-structural bond, hence not suitable for walls which require transferring loads.

BENEFITS/Advantages AND LIMITATIONS/disadvantages OF BRICK MASONRY

OVER STONE MASONRY

Benefits:

❖ Bricks are light in weight and hence handling them is easy.

❖ Bricks are easily available around cities and their transportation cost is less because their
weight is less. Stones are to be brought from quarries which are located only at few places.

❖ Since shape and size of bricks are uniform, it does not need skilled labour for the
construction.

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 ❖ It is possible to use all types of mortar in brick masonry. For temporary buildings even
mud mortar can be used.

❖ In brick masonry mortar joints are thin and hence construction cost is reduced
considerably.

❖ Brick masonry has better fire and weather resistance compared to stone no s masonry.

❖ Thinner walls can be constructed with bricks but it is not so with stones.

❖ It is easy to form openings for doors and windows.

❖ Dead load of brick masonry is less.

Limitations:

❖ ❖Strength of brick masonry is less than that of stone masonry.

❖ Brick masonry needs plastering and plastered surface needs colour washing. Stone
masonry doesn't need them and hence maintenance cost is more in brick masonry.

❖ Brick masonry absorbs water and there is possibility of dampness. There is no such
problem in stone masonry.

❖ Stone masonry gives massive appearance and hence for monumental buildings stone
masonry is preferred over brick masonry.

❖ More architectural effects can be given in stone masonry compared to that in brick
masonry.

❖ Durability of brick masonry is less when compared to stone masonry.

Flemish Bond: Definition, characteristics, and uses

The two most popular brick masonry patterns utilised in wall building are the English
bond and the Flemish bond. An English bond is a brick building pattern created by
alternating courses of brick being laid as stretchers and headers. A Flemish bond is
a type of brick building where the stretchers and headers are alternated for each
course.

Table of Contents

 Flemish bond: Varieties

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 Flemish bond: Pros
 Flemish bond: Cons
 What is the difference between the English and Flemish bond?
A quoin header at the corner marks the beginning of each alternate course. In order
to promote the face lap, the quoin closer is positioned to the right of the quoin
header. Every header is supported centrally over the stretcher below it, thanks to the
patterns’ arrangement.

Flemish bond: Varieties

Flemish bonds come in two varieties:

 Double Flemish bond

 Single Flemish bond

Double Flemish bond

The double flemish bond’s distinguishing characteristic is that it appears the same on
both the front and rear faces. Thus, for all wall thicknesses, this characteristic
provides a superior look to the English bond.

Basic characteristics of the Double Flemish bond

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  Headers and stretchers are alternately positioned in each course.
 The wall’s backing and face are identical in appearance.
 Quoin closers are positioned adjacent to quoin headers in alternate courses.
 Half bats and three-quarter bats are used on walls with an odd number of half
bricks.
 Walls made of even many half-bricks don’t need bats.

Single Flemish bond

An English bond serves as the backing, and a double flemish bond is the face of a
single flemish bond, with hearting in each course. As a result, the bond leverages the
power of both the English and Flemish bonds. Walls with a minimum brick thickness
of one and a half can be built using this bond. When using high-quality, pricey bricks,
the face with two Flemish bonds is used. Cheap bricks can be utilised for heating
and backing.

Basic characteristics of the Single Flemish bond

 The front and back elevations of each course in Double Flemish bond have
the exact identical appearance.
 Headers and stretchers are arranged alternately along each course. From the
standpoints of economics and appearance, this kind of bond is ideal.
 It permits a single brick wall to have flat, even faces on both sides.
 Compared to an English bond, this kind of bonding is weaker.

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Flemish bond: Pros

 The Flemish bond is particularly resilient and robust under strain.

 It creates a striking brick bond pattern that is highly appealing.
 The mortar joints strengthen and stabilise the wall.
 There is less likelihood that two bricks will wind up being exactly the same
size, which may normally cause issues while placing bricks because the
bricks are of various sizes.
 The Flemish bond method of laying bricks results in a wall that is incredibly
solid and less prone to collapse.
 Flemish bond is also quite beautiful and adds a sophisticated touch to any
structure.

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Flemish bond: Cons

 The unattractive mortar joints must be kept clean and in good shape in order
to avoid deterioration and an even worse appearance.
 It may be challenging to obtain new bricks if one is destroyed because the
bricks are of various sizes.
 Flemish bond brickwork is less common than other forms of brick bonding,
therefore finding a builder who is familiar with it may be more challenging.

What is the difference between the English and Flemish bond?

 In comparison with the Flemish bond, the English bond holds up better for
walls thicker than 112 bricks.
 Masonry work with Flemish bond looks more attractive and pleasing.
 As broken brickbats are used, the Flemish bond is an economical option,
although additional joints require additional mortar.
 It is a bit more difficult to use Flemish bonds than English bonds. They require
more supervision and skilled labour.

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