BRICK & MASONRY

• Because bricks are generally made from clay, brick masonry is also
referred to as clay masonry .Block masonry is called concrete masonry
because the blocks are made from concrete. Because masonry is laid unit
by unit (e.g., brick by brick or block by block), it is also referred to as unit
masonry . Bricks and blocks are, therefore, called clay masonry units and
concrete masonry units(CMU), respectively.
• Masonry units are bonded together with mortar to yield a composite
building component— generally a wall. Thus, mortar is the common
ingredient in all masonry construction. Mortar less masonry, although
possible, is uncommon and has relatively few applications; it is not
discussed in this text. Because mortar is common to virtually all masonry,
we discuss it first, followed by a discussion of bricks.
 MASONRY MORTAR
• Mortar consists of a binder (cementitious material), a filler, and
water. Portland cement and hydrated lime comprise the binder, and
the filler is sand. When these three elements are mixed together
with the required quantity of water, mortar results. The primary
function of masonry mortar is to bond the masonry units into an
integral masonry wall. Because mortar, in its plastic state, is pliable,
it molds itself to the surface profile of the units being mortared. This
not only helps seal the wall against water and air infiltration, it also
provides a cushion between the units. The mortar cushion also
compensates for size variations between individual units. Another
important role of mortar is to provide surface character to masonry
through shadow lines at mortar joints and color intervention
between the units.
 WORKABILITY AND WATER RETENTIVITY
OF MORTAR: THE ROLE OF LIME
• Although Portland cement is the primary
cementitious material in mortar, lime imparts
several useful and important properties to the
plastic as well as the hardened mortar. In the
plastic (wet) state of mortar, lime improves its
workability and water retentivity.
• A mortar comprising Portland cement only
(without lime) is coarse and, hence, less
workable. In the hardened state, lime
improves the water resistance of the wall. A
wall built with Portland cement and lime
mortar is more watertight than a wall built
with only Portland cement mortar.
• we observed that the workability of concrete is
a quantifiable property. This is not the case with
mortar. The workability of mortar is difficult to
quantify because it is a function of several
interdependent factors. However, a mason with
even a limited amount of experience and
training can easily distinguish between a
workable and a nonworkable mortar.
• A workable mortar is cohesive and spreads easily on the units
using a trowel. Because of its cohesiveness, it clings to the
vertical surfaces of the units and the trowel without sliding
down. It extrudes easily so that excess mortar in the joints can
be troweled off without the mortar dropping off or smearing
the units. A lay (and rather crude) explanation of the difference
between a workable and a nonworkable mortar is the
difference between spreading a creamy (more workable) and a
crunchy (less workable) peanut butter on a piece of toasted
bread.
• Another important property of plastic mortar
is its water retentivity. This is the ability of
mortar to retain water without letting it bleed
out. A mortar with good water retentivity
remains soft and plastic for a long period of
time and allows only a limited amount of
water to be absorbed by the units.
• Water retentivity and workability are directly
related to each other. Extremely fine sand
particles, air-entraining agents, and lime
increase the workability and water retentivity
of mortar. While a certain amount of water
absorption by the units is necessary for the
bond between the mortar and the units,
excessive water retentivity is to be avoided
because it reduces the strength of the bond.
WATERTIGHTNESS OF A MASONRY WALL:
THE ROLE OF LIME
• Lime also improves the elasticity of hardened mortar. In
other words, a lime-based mortar is able to flex
somewhat in its hardened state. This reduces the cracks
caused by the bending of a wall under lateral loads. Lime
also provides an autogenous healing property to mortar.
Autogenous healing refers to the self-sealing of small
cracks produced either within the mortar or at the
interface between the mortar and the units. The cracks
may result from either the bending stresses in masonry
or the drying shrinkage of Portland cement in mortar.
MORTAR STRENGTH: THE ROLES OF PORTLAND
CEMENT AND LIME
• Two strength properties of mortar are generally of interest:

• Compressive strength
• Flexural tensile bond strength

• Although several factors affect the compressive strength of mortar,

the most important factor is the mortar’s cementitious content. As
we will observe later, the total amount of cementitious content
(Portland cement plus lime) in various types of mortar is roughly
constant with respect to the amount of sand. The relative
proportions of Portland cement and lime are, however, different.
• Increasing the amount of portland cement with respect to lime
increases the mortar’s compressive strength.

• Conversely, increasing the amount of lime with respect to

portland cement decreases the mortar’s compressive strength.
Because mortar is an integral part of a masonry wall, its strength
affects the compressive strength of the wall,. Unlike the
compressive strength of mortar, which is a property only of the
mortar, bond strength is a property of the masonry wall. It is a
measure of the bond between the masonry units and the
mortar. It comes into play when an unreinforced masonry wall is
subjected to bending (flexure),.
• The bond between a masonry unit and the
mortar is both a chemical and a mechanical
bond. Therefore, the bond strength of
masonry is a function of several factors, such
as the types of units, surface roughness of
units, workmanship (such as the pressure
applied between the units at the time of
mortaring), curing conditions (air
temperature, wind and humidity), and so on.
• Another important factor that affects the bond
between the mortar and the units is the amount of
water in mortar. The amount of water in mortar
must be sufficiently high so that the mortar can
flow and be sucked into the minute crevices in
masonry units. This develops and improves the
bond between the units and the mortar. Everything
else being the same, increasing the amount of
portland cement in mortar with respect to lime
increases the bond strength of masonry.
 REQUIRED STRENGTH OF MASONRY
MORTAR
• The foregoing discussion indicates that the
strength of a masonry wall is directly related
to the strength of the mortar. It also indicates
that an increase in lime (with respect to
portland cement) decreases the strength of
mortar and, hence the strength of a masonry
wall, but it increases the wall’s water
tightness.
• A wall’s water tightness is just as important as
its strength. In fact, both water tightness and
strength are somewhat interrelated. Water
penetrating a wall corrodes steel
reinforcement, ties, and other embedded
accessories, which may ultimately reduce the
wall’s strength. The masonry industry,
therefore, favors a relatively low-strength
mortar for most masonry walls.
• Another reason for choosing a low-strength mortar
is to ensure that if the cracking of a masonry wall
occurs, it should occur in mortar joints, not in the
units, because it is much easier to repair a broken
mortar bed than a broken masonry unit. Because a
low-strength mortar is more workable, it provides
better workmanship and full coverage of joints
and, hence, a more watertight wall. In fact, a
general recommendation for masonry walls is:
MORTAR MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATIONS

• Mortar is prepared at the construction site in

a small mixer (see Figure 21.19 ). Hand mixing
with a shovel is appropriate only for a very
small job. The amount of water needed in a
mortar mix is not controlled by specifications
but left to the discretion of the mason to
obtain the required workability. Water for
mortar must be clean, potable, and free of
impurities.
 MATERIALS FOR MASONRY MORTAR

• Portland cement used in mortar is the same as

that used in making concrete
• Generally, Type I/II portland cement is used.
Lime for mortar is Type S lime
• The sand used in mortar is referred to as mason’s
sand . It may be manufactured sand (pulverized
stone) or mined from natural sand deposits. It must
conform to ASTM specifications, which require
specific grading (particle size variation). This grading
gives the mason’s sand nearly 30% voids within a
given volume of sand. The voids are the spaces
between individual sand particles, which are filled
by the binder (portland cement and lime).
PROPORTION SPECIFICATION—PORTLAND
CEMENT
PROPERTY SPECIFICATION OF MORTAR

• An alternative way to specify mortar is by its

properties, similar to the way concrete is
specified. The most distinguishing mortar
property is its compressive strength,
determined by crushing 2-in. * 2-in. cubes
after 28 days.
• By testing the cubes, the amounts of
cementitious materials can be established in the
laboratory to give the required mortar strength.
The proportions so established are used in
producing the mortar at the construction site.
The sand content in a mix obtained from
property specification is generally greater than
that used in the proportion specification (2.5 to
3 times the cementitious materials).
• Mortar produced in the laboratory using the
property specification is referred to as Type M
mortar if its 28-day compressive strength is at
least 2,500 psi, as Type S mortar if its
compressive strength is at least 1,800 psi, and
so on,