CHAPTER (2)

BRICKLAYING AND MASONRY

 The candidate must be able to do the followings

after this chapter.
 Describe the brickwork terminology
 Differentiate between common types of
brickwork bonding
 Explain the masonry works concerned with
bricklaying such as
pointing,grouting,plastering,and rendering.
 BRICKwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar.
Typically, rows of bricks – called courses are laid on top of one another to
build up a structure such as a brick wall. Part of brickwork includes bricks,
beds and perpends. The bed is the mortar upon which a brick is laid.
A perpend is a vertical layer of mortar between two bricks.
 Bond In Brickwork
Bonding in brickwork in an arrangement of bricks, usually overlapping between
courses in order to distribute load and provide stability. Bonding can also be
used for decorative purposes. In general brickwork should not be less than
quarter bonded.

Brick bond
Header
A brick which is laid in a way that
only the short end is visible in the
wall.
Stretcher
A brick which is laid in a way that
allows only the longer side of the brick
to be exposed.

Queen Closer
A brick of half the usual length, for
completing a course or for spacing
regular bricks.
 Different Types Of Bonds
There are a variety of bonds used for different types of works :

Stretcher Bond

Header Bond
Types of Bond
English Bond

Flemish Bond
 Stretcher Bond
A stretcher is the longer face of the brick as seen in the elevation.
In the brick size 190mm x 90mm x 90mm , 190mm x 90mm face is the stretcher.
In stretcher bond masonry, all the bricks are arranged in stretcher courses as
shown in figure.
However, care should be taken to break vertical joints.
This type of construction is useful for the construction half brick thick partition wall.
Elevation Plan for 2,4,6 courses Plan for 1,3,5 courses
 Header Bond
A header is the shorter face of the brick as seen in the elevation.
In a standard brick, it is 90mm x 90mm face.
In header bond brick masonry, all the bricks are arranged in the header
courses as shown in figure.
This type of bond is useful for the construction of one brick thick walls.
Elevation Plan for 2,4,6 courses Plan for 1,3,5 courses
 English Bond
English bond in brick masonry has one course of stretcher only and a course
of header above it, i.e. it has two alternating courses of stretchers and
headers.
Headers are laid centered on the stretchers in course below and each
alternate row is vertically aligned.
To break the continuity of vertical joints, queen closer is used in the beginning
and end of a wall after first header. A queen close is a brick cut lengthwise
into two halves and used at corners in brick walls.
This is considered to be the strongest bond.
Hence, it is commonly used bond for the walls of all thicknesses.
English Bond
Elevation Plan for 2,4,6 courses Plan for 1,3,5 courses

One Brick Wall English Bond

Plan for 2,4,6 courses Plan for 1,3,5 courses

One And a Half Brick Wall English Bond

 Flemish Bond
In this type of bond, each course comprises of alternate header and stretcher.
Alternate courses start with stretcher and header.
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.
Flemish bonds may be further classified as;
1. Single Flemish Bond
2. Double Flemish Bond
Flemish Bond
Elevation
 double flemish bond
In case of double Flemish bond, both faces of the wall have Flemish look, i.e.,
each course consist of alternative header and stretcher, whereas single Flemish
look outer faces of walls have Flemish look whereas inner faces have look of
English bond.
It is comparatively weaker than the English bond.

Construction of Flemish bond needs greater skill.

It gives more pleasing apperance.
But not as strong as English bond.
If only pointing is to be used for finished wall, Flemish bond may be used to get
good aesthetic view.
If plastering is going to be used, it is better to use English Bond.
Plan for 1,3,5 courses Plan for 2,4,6 courses

Double Flemish Bond

 Single flemish bond
Single Flemish bond 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.
Plan for 1,3,5 courses Plan for 2,4,6 courses

Single Flemish Bond

Comparison of English And Flemish Bond
 Pointing (mortar joint)
The action of filling the joints of brickwork or masonry with mortar.
Cement or mortar used to fill the joints of brickwork or masonry, especially
when added externally to a wall to improve its appearance and
weatherproofing.
There are generally EIGHT types of pointing used In masonry.

1. Concave pointing
2. V-pointing
3. Weather pointing
4. Beaded pointing
5. Struck pointing
6. Recessed pointing
7. Flush pointing
8. Tuckpointing
 1. concave Pointing
This popular type of joint is formed in mortar through the use of a curved
steel jointing tool.
It is very effective at resisting rain penetration due to its recessed profile
and the tight seal formed by compacted mortar.
Patterns are emphasized on a dense, smooth surface, and small
irregularities are hidden.
 2. ‘V’ pointing
This type of joint can be made with a V-shaped jointer or a trowel soon
after the bricks are laid.
Ornamental and highly visible, the joint conceals small irregularities and is
highly attractive.
Like the concave joint, the V-joint is water-resistant because its formation
compacts the mortar and its shape directs water away from the seal.
 3. weather Pointing (weathersturck)
Mortar is recessed increasingly from the bottom to the top of the joint, with the
top end not receding more than 3/8-inch into the wall.
The straight, inclined surfaces of the bed (horizontal) joints tend to catch the
light and give the brickwork a neat, ordered appearance.
This joint is less compacted than the concave and V-joints, although it is still
suitable for exterior building walls.
 4. Beaded pointing
Formed by steel or iron edge.
Raising a rounded, bead-shaped segment of the mortar away from the mortar
surface produces this old-fashioned, formal design.
Although beaded joints can create interesting shadows, they are not
recommended for exterior use due to their exposed ledges.
 5. struck pointing
This joint is formed in a similar fashion as the weathered joint, except that the
bottom edge, instead of the top edge, is recessed.
It is a very poor insulator against water, as it will allow water to collect on its
bottom ledge.
 6. Recessed pointing
Recessed joints are also well-known as raked pointing
Recessed joints are not suitable for buildings in exposed situations because
they do not readily shed water.
This is done by pressing mortar back from edges by 5 mm or more.
Face of pointing is kept vertical.
Only bricks with good frost resistance should be used with recessed joints.
Gives good appearance.
 7. Flush Pointing
The pointing may be level as in flush pointing, which is made by wiping over
the finished pointing with the trowel or piece of rough cloth.
Does not give good appearance.
But it is durable as it does not provide any space for accumulation of dust,
water etc.
This joint is best used when the wall is intended to be plastered or joints are to
be hidden under paint. Because the mortar is not compressed, it is less water-
resistant than some of the other designs.
 7. tuck pointing
Tuckpointing is a way of using two contrasting colours of mortar in the
mortar joints of brickwork, one colour matching the bricks themselves, to
give an artificial impression that very fine joints have been made.
Groove of 5 mm width and 3 mm depth is prepared.
It is filled with white cement or putty.
 Three common pointing methods
Currently used in uk
1. Concave or Bucket Handle Pointing
Concave pointing or more commonly known as
“bucket handle” is probably the most
commonly used in the UK today and is created
with a Jointing Iron, which can either be
purchased or achieved with an appropriately
sized piece of pipe.
The mortar should be pushed up to the arris
(edge of the brick) with the jointer to create a
curved affect, which will allow the water to run
off the joint and achieve good resistance to
rain.
2.Weatherstruck

Weather Struck jointing is a less common

technique used today, mainly due to the
fact that it is time consuming to achieve
and requires a lot of experience the get the
required results.
When done correctly it will give a lovely
aesthetically pleasing look to the wall.
A few tools and a lot of patience is
required, but will give a great resistance to
adverse weather.
3. Recessed or Raked

Raked pointing is more about looks than actual

benefits to the wall in a structural sense.
Great emphasise should be given when laying the
bricks to full joints, this is needed when raking out the
joint with a wheeled raker, so that you do not spend a
lot of time filling back in the joints with bits of mortar.
With the edge of the brick exposed, consideration
should be given when using this method as it will allow
water to sit on your brickwork, which will in some areas
expose your brickwork to potential frost damage.
 grouting
 Grout is a particularly fluid form of concrete used to fill
gaps.
 Grout is generally a mixture of water, cement, and
sand, and is employed in pressure grouting,
embedding rebar in masonry walls, connecting
sections of pre-cast concrete, filling voids, and
sealing joints such as those between tiles.
 It is often color tinted when it will remain visible, and
sometimes includes fine gravel when being used to fill
large spaces such as the cores of concrete blocks).
 Unlike other structural pastes such as plaster or joint
compound, correctly mixed and applied grout forms Smoothing grout between
a waterproof seal. tiles with a rubber grout
float
 Plastering
Plaster is a building material used for the protective and/or decorative
coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative
elements. In English "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of
buildings, while "render" commonly refers to external applications.
The plaster is manufactured as a dry powder and is mixed with water
to form a stiff but workable paste immediately before it is applied to the
surface. The reaction with water liberates heat through crystallization and the
hydrated plaster then hardens.
The most common types of plaster are;
1. Gypsum Plaster
2. Lime Plaster
3. Heat Resistant Plaster
4. Cement Plaster
Gypsum plaster [CaSO4·2H2O + heat → CaSO4·0.5H2O + 1.5H2O (released as steam)]
Gypsum plaster, or plaster of Paris, is produced by heating gypsum to about 300 °F (150 °C
When the dry plaster powder is mixed with water, it re-forms into gypsum.
If plaster or gypsum is heated above 266 °F (130 °C), hemihydrate is formed,
which will also reform as gypsum if mixed with water.
Plaster of Paris can be used to make modroc.

Lime plaster
Lime plaster is a mixture of calcium hydroxide and sand (or other inert fillers).
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes the plaster to set by transforming the calcium
hydroxide into calcium carbonate. (limestone)
Lime plaster is used for frescoes, where pigments, diluted in water, are applied to the still wet
plaster.

Heat Resistant Plaster

Heat resistant plaster is a building material used for coating walls and chimney breasts.
Its purpose is to replace conventional gypsum plasters in cases where the temperature can get too
high for gypsum plaster to stay on the wall.
Heat resistant plaster should be used in cases where the wall is likely to exceed temperatures of
50 °C.
Cement Plaster

•Cement plaster is a mixture of suitable plaster, sand, portland cement and water which is
normally applied to masonry interiors and exteriors to achieve a smooth surface.
•Various cement-based plasters are also used as proprietary spray fireproofing products.
•These usually use vermiculite as lightweight aggregate.
•Heavy versions of such plasters are also in use for exterior fireproofing, to protect LPG vessels,
pipe bridges and vessel skirts.
•The advantages of cement plaster noted at that time were its strength, hardness, quick
setting time and durability.
 rendering
•Cement rendering is the application of a premixed layer of sand and cement to
brick, cement, stone, or mud brick.
•It is often textured, colored, or painted after application.
•It is generally used on exterior walls but can be used to feature an interior wall.
•Depending on the 'look' required, rendering can be fine or coarse, textured or
smooth, natural or colored, pigmented or painted.
•The cement rendering of brick, concrete and mud houses has been used for
centuries to improve the appearance (and sometimes weather resistance) of
exterior walls.
•There are TWO types of rendering;
1. Traditional Rendering
2. Acrylic Rendering
 Traditional Rendering
•Cement render consists of 6 parts clean sharp fine sand, 1 part cement, and 1 part
lime.
•The lime makes the render more workable and reduces cracking when the render
dries.
•Any general purpose cement can be used.
•Various additives can be added to the mix to increase adhesion.
•Coarser sand is used in the base layer and slightly finer sand in the top layer.
•The application process resembles the process for applying paint.
•To ensure adhesion, the surface to be rendered is initially hosed off to ensure it is
free of any dirt and loose particles.
•Old paint or old render is scraped away.
•The surface is roughened to improve adhesion.
•For large areas, vertical battens are fixed to the wall every 1 to 1.5 meters, to keep
the render flat and even.
 Acrylic Rendering

•There is also a wide variety of premixed renders for different situations.

•Some have a polymer additive to the traditional cement, lime and sand mix for
enhanced water resistance, flexibility and adhesion.
•Acrylic premixed renders have superior water resistance and strength.
•They can be used on a wider variety of surfaces than cement render, including
concrete, cement blocks, and AAC concrete paneling.
•Acrylic renders take only 2 days to dry and cure—much faster than the 28
days for traditional render.
•A significant disadvantage of acrylic render vs. traditional rendering is that
acrylic render lacks the sustainability and environmental compatibility
because of being a synthetic polymer material.
Traditional Rendering Acrylic Rendering