Masonry repair

Content
• Introduction
• causes for masonry to deteriorate
• common masonry problems
• Technique of Assessment
• Repair method
 Introduction

Masonry:- is the building of structures from individual units

laid in and bound together by mortar.
The common materials of masonry construction (masonry
unit)are :-
 Brick
 stone such as marble, granite, travertine, limestone;
 concrete block, and tile.

•
 Applications
Masonry is commonly used for
 the walls of buildings
 retaining walls and monuments.
 Concrete blocks provide great compressive strength, and are best
suited to structures with light transverse loading
 Pavement(for pedestrian & vehicle

Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction.

factors affecting the durability of masonry construction.,
 the materials used
 the quality of the mortar and workmanship, and
 the pattern in which the units are assembled
 
 cont’d
Advantages
 Brick typically will :- not require painting and so can provide a structure with
reduced life-cycle costs,
although sealing appropriately will reduce potential spalling due to frost
damage
 The appearance, especially when well crafted, can impart an impression of
solidity and permanence.
 Masonry is very heat resistant and thus provides good fire protection.
Disadvantages
 Extreme weather causes degradation of masonry wall surfaces due to frost
damage. This type of damage is common with certain types of brick, though
rare with concrete blocks. If non-concrete (clay-based) brick is to be used, care
should be taken to select bricks suitable for the climate in question.
 Masonry tends to be heavy and must be built upon a strong foundation to
avoid settling and cracking.
 Masonry boasts an impressive compressive strength (vertical loads) but is
much lower in tensile strength (twisting or stretching) unless reinforced.
The world's highest brick tower of St. Martin's Church in Landshut,
Germany, completed in 1500
19th Century Colonial Secretary's Office in Sydney, Australia constructed
of typical Sydney sandstone
tallest-load-bearing-building-in-the-world
Malbork Castle, former Ordensburg of the Teutonic Order - biggest brick
castle in the world
Question. Can we say lalibela church and Axum are kind of masonry construction
if not, explain?
if yes ,explain?
 causes for masonry to deteriorate
masonry is subject to a wide variety of complex forces. Among these are:
• Expansion and contraction due to freeze/thaw cycles.
• Efflorescence (expansion of soluble salts).
• Thermal expansion and contraction.
• Expansion of rusting metal contiguous to the masonry units.
• Moisture trapped behind painted masonry unable to escape.
• Masonry "sealed" with an inappropriate sealer.
• Effects of acid rain.
• Failure to properly repair mortar joints (repointing) soon after initial mortar
failure.
• Using an incorrectly formulated repair mortar for repointing.
• Wind erosion.
• Biological growth (plant life).
• Seismic activity.
• Settling
 Common Problems in Masonry
 Concrete cracks happen because of horizontal or vertical stress to a masonry
surface. (This is why rebar is used to strengthen concrete.)
 Deteriorating mortar joints are generally due to age or water penetration.
 Brick, stone, or blocks come apart from age and deterioration of mortar
between masonry units.
 Sinking or settling in masonry is due to improper compaction of soil beneath
the masonry or improper drainage around masonry.
 Water penetration
 Incorrect grouting practices
 Spalling
Spalling is when the brick or masonry substrate flakes.
This can be caused by water freezing inside of the brick and expanding. The
expansion causes the brick to break and flake
 Corrosion
In the presence of water and oxygen, steel rebars in bond beams, grouted cells,
or collar joints will corrode. Horizontal joint reinforcement, ties that hold
masonry walls together, or anchors that attach a veneer wall to a support also
are susceptible to corrosion.
The most common materials used for reinforcing are uncoated steel, zinc-
coated steel, and hot-dipped galvanized steel.
• The coatings and the alkaline mortar provide some corrosion protection..
• Also, avoid adding chloride to mortar or grout; soluble chlorides accelerate
corrosion.
 Efflorescence
When water containing dissolved salts evaporates from a masonry structure it
leaves a salt deposit . The stain is called efflorescence.
efflorescence may lead to more serious problems such as cracking. Salt crystals
deposited in pores sometime generate enough pressure to crack the masonry.
To prevent efflorescence, prevent water from entering the wall and provide
drainage for water that does. Design properly and install flashing, weep
holes(are small openings left in the outer wall of masonry construction as an
outlet for water inside a building to move outside the wall and evaporate), drips,
and caulking(process to seal joints)
 Deflection of steel lintels
• Lintels are beams used to span windows, doors, and other openings in masonry
walls.
• Precast concrete, reinforced masonry, and steel angles are commonly used as
lintels..
• as the lintel deflects it may rest on the window frame and transfer load to it.
This can distort or deform the frame or even break the glass
 Faulty Flashing
Flashing inside a masonry wall acts as a gutter. Placed completely through the
wall in horizontal mortar joints, it collects moisture that penetrates the wall
and diverts it out of the wall. Sheet metal, bituminous membranes, and
composite materials are used as flashing.
The flashing is placed on a thin bed of mortar with another thin mortar layer
placed on top. To drain the water that collects on the flashing, weep holes,
spaced no more than 24 inches apart, must be installed immediately above it.
Weep holes are made by placing rope or plastic tubing in the mortar joints
• To avoid problems, flashing must be provided at the base, sill, head, and roof
locations.
 CRACKING
Masonry, like all building materials, expands and contracts due to temperature
changes. Also, as concrete block cures and water evaporates, it shrinks.
• Consequently, concrete block walls require control joints and brick walls
require expansion joints.
 If a wall is built without joints or not enough joints, movements due to
temperature or moisture changes may crack the wall
 Moisture movements for concrete block walls can be minimized by selecting
blocks with the lowest shrinkage potential .
• Also, let both block and brick reach an equilibrium moisture content with the
air before using them. Don't wet concrete block before laying them.
• Horizontal joint reinforcement also helps to control cracking. If cracks form, it
keeps them from opening too wide.
• Keep them dry and under cover
 Technique of Assessment
several methods have been developed and improved for monitoring and on-site
diagnosis based on
 non-destructive (NDT) and
 minor destructive (MDT) approaches like radar(GPR), ultrasonic’s, flat-jack,
strain gauges rooted on optical fibres etc)
 TEST ON WATER ABSORBITION
A. TUBE TEST (MASONRY ABSORPTION TEST)
B. GWT TEST
C. ASTM E 514 TEST
to get the following information: 
1. Morphological characteristics 
- Determination of the thickness of masonry structures 
- Localization of plaster delaminations 
- Localization of metal parts, inclusions, voids and other in homogeneities 
- Localization of hidden crack patterns 
.
2. Mechanical characteristics of masonry 
-Investigation of the state of stress, compressive strength, elastic properties,
correlation between mechanical parameters and NDT parameters (e.g.
modulus of elasticity from flat-jacks and velocity from sonic tests) 
3.Moisture 
- Localization of moisture, determination of moisture content, causes of
damage 
TEST ON WATER ABSORBITION
Water is masonry's worst enemy because freeze-thaw cycles can cause crack.
There are a variety of tests used to analyze masonry wall systems in reference to
levels of water penetration. Most deterioration problems in masonry are
moisture or water related. Therefore, the durability of masonry depends on its
resistance to water penetration
TUBE TEST (MASONRY ABSORPTION TEST)
Calibrated test tubes measure the amount of water absorbed into a surface
over a specific period of time.
The amount of absorption depends on
 wind speed and
 the composition, as well as the condition of the masonry.
Concrete, limestone, and brick for example have different pore sizes and will
absorb water at different rates simply due to their varying structures.
The purpose of the tubes is to
 detect leaks
 predict vulnerability to water damage,
 diagnose water penetration problems, and
 determine the effectiveness of a water repellent treatment.
An advantage of the absorption tubes is that they serve as inexpensive
diagnostic tools for field testing.
TUBE TEST
 GWT TEST
German’s Water Permeability testing device (GWT) is designed to measure
 permeability,
 surface porosity and
 initial rate of absorption (IRA).
The device is attached to a masonry wall by metal anchors that are drilled into the
joints. Water is pumped into the device and then forced into the wall at a
specific pressure for a period of about 55 minutes at which time the chamber
pressure must be released and refilled. The quality of mortar joints can easily
be determined with this method as the weaker, poor quality joints will take on
water much faster.
 ASTM E 514 TEST
Developed to
 determine the resistance to water penetration and leakage through masonry
subjected to wind-driven rain.
 to evaluate the design and workmanship of a given wall system, as well as the
degree of weathering to which it has been exposed.
• It involves constructing a three by four foot test chamber that is mounted and
sealed to an existing masonry wall to measure the amount of water that leaks
into the wall. Water is pumped from a tank to a spray bar mounted in the
chamber, sprayed at a controlled rate, and pressurized to simulate driving rain.
Water readings are taken every half hour up to a period of up to eight hours
until two consecutive readings are obtained. Leakage rates up to a half gallon
per 12 square feet per hour are generally considered acceptable.
Limitation
 test requires considerable setup time,
 expensive to execute and
 REPAIRE METHOD
Masonry work structures are generally durable, easy to maintain and long-lasting.
Repair work can be necessary due to the effects of weather ravages, water
leakage, ground damp, weak foundations, pollution and general negligence.
Rectifying the cause of the damage, along with the damage itself, then becomes
essential to prevent further deterioration along the same lines. The cause and
extent of the deterioration, as well as the environmental conditions the
masonry is exposed to, determine the best way to repair masonry. Among the
repair options are:
1. Composite Patching – Replacing the areas of deterioration with a specially
formulated repair mortar that closely matches the color, texture, and physical
characteristics of the host masonry.
2. Dutchman Patches – Replacing small areas of deterioration with new masonry
that is carefully shaped to precisely fit the void created as a result of removing
the deteriorated portion of the masonry. Dutchman patches are usually done
on stone rather than brick or terra-cotta.
3.Remove and Replace – Removing the entire masonry unit, then
replacing it with new masonry.
4. New Veneer – Removing the entire exposed face of the masonry to a
predetermined depth, then replacing it with new masonry.
5. Retooling – Reshaping the masonry unit where it sits without removing any
part of it.
6. Consolidation – Carefully removing the badly deteriorated masonry material,
then applying various specialty treatments that strengthen and consolidate
the remaining masonry unit. The masonry is not restored, but rather preserved
in its existing condition
7. Repointing
8. Tuck pointing
9. cleaning
10.parging
Repointing and tuck pointing involves restrengthening the old mortar between
the masonry units, or removing and replacing it with new mortar. It is safe to
remove old mortar to a depth of 3/8 to 1/2 inches (0.95 to 1.27 cm) of the total
width of the masonry unit.
• Repointing is the process of renewing mortar joints in masonry construction.
mortar used for Repointing have similar performance characteristics to the
original mortar used in a building. Such performance characteristics include
permeability, compressive strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion.
The usual mortar for Repointing is either a 6:1:1 mix of builders sand(is mostly an
ungraded coarse sands. It used for ballast, for good drainage when laid under brick
paving)/hydrated lime/cement
Only mix up a small amount of mortar at a time (about half a bucket) as
Repointing is time consuming so you won't do a very large area before the
mortar will start to go off.
 Procedures for Repointing
Step 1: Analyze the Mortar
Chisel out two or three small chunks of existing mortar for analysis. In a
well-ventilated area -- preferably outside -- and wearing solvent gloves
and safety glasses, pour a small amount of Muriatic acid into as many
glass jars as you have mortar samples.
Note: Muriatic acid is a dangerous chemical. Please read all safety
precautions before using.
Gently, place one chunk of mortar in each jar of Muriatic acid. Do not
splash. When the samples stop reacting to the acid, drain off the acid.
The remnants will indicate the original sand color that was used
Step 2: Mix Lime and
Sand

Try to match the batches to the

original mortar color, keeping in
mind that the color when change
slightly when dry.
Step 3: Grind the
Mortar Away

Wearing a balaclava (a
knit hood that keeps dust
from your hair and face)
and a respirator, begin
grinding the existing
mortar away with a 4"
angle grinder, to about
1/4" depth. Blow away
excess dust after
grinding.
Step 4: Prepare and
Apply the Mortar

Next, wet the brick to prevent the

brick from "wicking" water from
the new mortar, and keep the
mortar from cracking after it dries.
With the proper color selected,
prepare mortar in the amount
needed to complete the Repointing
project.
Add a small amount of mortar to
the end of the trowel.
Position the trowel against the
edge of the brick, then use the
pointing tool to work mortar into
the crevice
 Step 5: Remove Excess
Mortar

After the mortar has set up -- about

one to three hours -- use a steel
brush to remove excess mortar from
the face of the brick.
To achieve the same texture as the
original mortar, use a damp cloth to
lightly tamp over the mortar joints.
Approximately one week later, use
a Muriatic acid and water solution to
wash over the face of the brick to
remove any residual haze from the
mortar.
If properly maintained, repointing
can last 25 to 50 years before it
needs to be repeated.
 Tuck pointing
Tuck pointing removes cracked or otherwise deteriorated mortar
from joints by chiseling or grinding. New mortar is then carefully
applied and smoothed to fill in the joints.
Used to;-
• Keep out damaging rain and snow,
• Avoid more costly brick repair and replacement,
• Improve the appearance of your wall or chimney.
 Procedures for Tuckpointing

1.Clean Out Mortar Joints

The first step in repairing the mortar joint is to clean out all loose and
adjacent mortar in the area to be repaired. There are a couple of ways to
prepare the mortar joints. You can chisel the joint clean or use a power
drill and masonry cutting wheel to cut into the mortar joint.
2.Prepere Mortar for Tuckpointing
Mixing mortar consists of mixing sand and masonry cement(i.e. masonry
cement is a special blended cement that is mixed in specific proportions
with sand and water to form a strong binding mortar).
This mortar is notable for its strength, durability, aesthetic appeal and
resistance to atmospheric and chemical deterioration).
• Mix a small amount of mortar at one time using clean drinkable water.
• Mix with a liquid latex binder to improve adhesion and reduce cracking
and shrinking.
• Mix the mortar to a consistency like pudding, where you can slice a
piece off with your trowel.
3.Tuckpoint the Mortar Joints
Take the Mortar Hawk (or overturned brick trowel or flat 8"x12"
plywood with a 6" long 2x2 fastened perpendicular to its
underside as a gripping handle) and load with fresh mortar.
As the mortar begins to stiffen, strike the joints with a joint strike
tool. Tool the vertical joints first, then the horizontal joints.
4. Keep the Tuckpointing Repair Damp
This last step is very important. Keeping the tuckpoint repair damp allows
the mortar to cure properly.
-Spray the new repair lightly with water to aid in proper curing of the
mortar.
-Keep the area misted with water for 3 days.
-Cover the area with a plastic sheet if desired to help retain moisture
Tuck point
 Parging
Parging is a construction technique used to finish the surface of a masonry wall. It
is similar to stucco, but uses a masonry-based mortar rather than a traditional
stucco mixture.
Most Parging mixtures are made from a blend of lime, Portland cement, water,
and masonry cement. Parging mix that is too wet may crack, while overly dry
mixtures may not stick to the wall.
This material is applied using a standard masonry trowel, and is generally
installed in very thin coats. The walls should be wet first, which helps
the Parging mix adhere to the masonry. Depending on the desired finish, the
walls may be heavily textured or very smooth. To keep parged walls smooth,
keep your trowel very wet during application.
Application
This material can be used on
 both interior and exterior walls.
 vertical surfaces,
 foundations, columns, or
 any other surface made of concrete, brick, or stone.
 for covering unattractive masonry surfaces.
 It can cover cracks and water damage, or even holes and voids.
 to seal small air leaks in.
 How is Parging done?

In the case of Parging restoration,

A. the area first needs to be cleaned Using normally wire brushes and regular
soap and water, dirt, grime and any flaking parge are first removed.
B. After letting the surface completely dry Portland Cement Masonry is applied. In
some the mason may add an adhesive bonding agent to the batch of wet
masonry. This allows for a more complete bond to structure. This is normally
done when the brick/block are retaining more moisture than desired.
C. After the first coat of parge has dried and cured, additional coats can be
applied. A traditional parge is consisting of two coats, however more can be
applied if the environmental conditions are unfavorable.
Why is Parging applied only at the very bottom of a structure?
• Parging is normally applied to the bottom 1 - 2 feet of a structure. Parging is
concentrated there because this is the area at greatest risk of moisture damage.
Parging will protect against snow build up in the winter, as well as surface
water after a heavy rain.
Parging
 Cleaning

Brick Cleaning
Brick cleaning involves the use of chemical cleaners and a high-power pressure
washer using 2,500 psi of pressure to clean carbon build up, dirt, etc. off bricks,
stones and blocks which Restore or improve the appearance of your brickwork,
stones and blocks.
 cleaning
Mechanical cleaning methods such as
 sandblasting,
 abrasive wheels and
 special power tools for cleaning mortar lines in brick and concrete block
Chemical cleaner
 phosphoric acid- the most popular concrete and grout cleaners.
contain chemicals which emulsify oils to help the acid work more effectively
and safely increase its cleaning properties.
 Muriatic acid- is a highly reactive liquid acid, and one of the most dangerous
chemicals. used to remove efflorescence.
THE END