Alternative Building

Materials
MODULE 2 - CHARACTERISTICS OF MASONRY
CONSTITUENTS
Overview
 Masonry units and its characteristics

 Stones, Laterite blocks, Burnt bricks, Concrete blocks,

 Burnt clay blocks, Fal-G blocks and Stabilized mud blocks.

 Manufacture of SMB’s

 Masonry Mortars: Introduction, Cementations materials, Sand,

 Types of mortars, Characteristics and requirements of mortar.

Masonry units and its characteristics
 Masonry units consists of strong blocks attached using mortar

 Stone, blocks, or brick are widely used with mortar

 Masonry units are of two types

1. Load bearing / Structural Masonry

2. Non-load bearing masonry walls

 The masonry units have high

Compressive strength, Porosity.
Masonry units and its characteristics
 Masonry units consists of strong blocks attached using mortar

 Stone, blocks, or brick are widely used with mortar

 Masonry units are of two types

1. Load bearing / Structural Masonry

2. Non-load bearing masonry walls

 The masonry units have high

Compressive strength, Porosity.
Masonry units and its characteristics
 Masonry units consists of strong blocks attached using mortar

 Masonry units, such as stone, blocks, or brick, are widely used with mortar

 Masonry units are of two types

1. Load bearing / Structural Masonry

2. Non-load bearing masonry walls

 The masonry units have high

Compressive strength, Porosity.
Stones
 In construction Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic stones are used

 Igneous rocks - Granite and Basalt

 Sedimentary - Limestones and Sandstones

 Metamorphic – Gneiss and Marbles

 The stones have higher compressive strength

 Granite, Gneiss, Basalt, and Sandstone are widely used

 Fine grained rocks are harder than coarse grained rocks

Laterite
 Laterite soil vastly found in coastal districts
of Karnataka

 Found as soil bed, usually wet earth and

hardens on drying

 The average compressive strength of

laterite block is 3.8MPa
Laterite
 Laterite soil vastly found in coastal districts
of Karnataka

 Found as soil bed, usually wet earth and

hardens on drying

 390/490 X 190 X 190mm / 590X290X290mm

Laterite blocks for masonry - IS 3620:1979

 The average compressive strength of laterite

block is 3.8MPa
The Burnt Brick
 The compressed earth bricks are of 3 types

1. Country brick

2. Table moulded brick

3. Wire cut bricks

 Soft mud pressed to form bricks
 Moulding is done on ground
 The wet brick is left on the ground to dry
 The dry bricks were stacked and burnt in fire
The Burnt Brick
 The compressed earth bricks are of 3 types

1. Country brick

2. Table moulded brick

3. Wire cut bricks

 Soft mud pressed to form bricks
 Moulding is done on ground
 The wet brick is left on the ground to dry
 The dry bricks were stacked and burnt in fire
The Burnt Brick
Table moulded bricks
 A five sided mould is used to shape a relatively
stiffer mud into brick
 The TMB has improved shape and strength
 The brick is released turning the mould upside down
 This brick has frog on one of the side
 Further, the bricks are burnt in Bull’s trench kiln
 TMB is stronger than the country brick
 Strength of the brick ranges from 3.5MPa to
7.0MPa
The Burnt Brick
Table moulded bricks
 A five sided mould is used to shape a relatively
stiffer mud into brick
 The TMB has improved shape and strength
 The brick is released turning the mould upside down
 This brick has frog on one of the side
 Further, the bricks are burnt in Bull’s trench kiln
 TMB is stronger than the country brick
 Strength of the brick ranges from 3.5MPa to
7.0MPa
The Burnt Brick
Wire cut bricks
 The wire cut brick has mechanised operation
 The soil is pugged adequately and extruded
The extruded continuous clay slab is sliced by a wire
 The brick is burnt in Hoffman’s kiln
 A good WCB has strength in range 10 to 20MPa
 Modulus of elasticity ranges between 300MPa to 1000MPa
 A 5 storey masonry wall can be constructed