What is Brick Masonry ?

Brick Masonry is the process of laying bricks and to bond them properly with mortar to form a desired structure which can transmit the super-imposed load safely to the foundation. In case of permanant construction lime and cement mortar are used for brick masonry, but in case of temporary construction mud mortar can also do the work. The standard size of brick is 19*9*9 millimeters.

Generally the cement mortar prepared for brick work is in the ration of 1:3 for cement grade of M7.5. This ratio means for the preparation of cement mortar one bag of cement is mixed with 3 bags of cement. 70 % of the water of the weight of the cement is used in mixing.

 

Types of Bond Used in Brick Masonry

Stretcher Bond

In stretcher bond all the bricks are arranged as stretchers on the faces of the walls. Stretcher bond is only suitable for half brick wall construction. In stretcher bond all the bricks are laid in stretcher course, but care should be taken to break the vertical joints.

Header Bond

In header bond all the bricks are laid as headers on the faces of the walls. Generally header bond is suitable for one brick wall construction.

English Bond

In English Bond, alternate courses of headers and stretchers are used. This type of bond is generally most common type of bond which is suitable for any wall thickness. It is considered to be the strongest bond.

Flemish Bond

In Flemish Bond, each course comprises of an alternate header and stretcher. The alternate headers of each course are centrally supported over the stretchers below it. Every alternate course starts with header at the corner.

Advantages of Brick Masonry

• size and shape of the bricks is generally uniform, hence construction process of the brick masonry is not hard. Therefore there is no need of skilled labour for the construction work.
• The bricks used in brick masonry are generally light weight. Unlike clay bricks, there are many bricks which are available in the market which are very light weight. They are made out of different materials like fly ash, aluminium powder, quartz sand etc. Hence handling of bricks on the construction site is comparatively easy as compared to stone masonry.
• As compared to stone masonry and concrete block (AAC) masonry, the dead load of brick masonry is comparatively less.
• Unlike stone masonry, construction of thinner brickwalls can be easily done with brick masonry.
• Brick is one of the most important asset of the construction world. Mostly in any type of construction work bricks are used. Hence the availability of the bricks is easy in every corner of the city. Compared to stone masonry they are available only at the sites where stone quarries are located.
• Mortar joints in brick masonry are less compared to other masonry work. Therefore the overall cost is very much reduced. They are moreover good resistant to fire and extreme weathers. They can be used in any wall construction where stone and concrete block masonry cannot be used.
• While the construction of the building, openings for doors and windows can be easily made in the brick masonry construction.
• Different types of mortars can be used in the construction of this masonry. We can use mud mortar for the small construction works which are temporarily constructed.

Disadvantages of Brick Masonry

• Brick masonry cannot do well in earthquake. It is susceptible to damage caused by earthquake.
• It is time consuming construction process. Hence, Nowadays in case of rapid construction AAC blocks are preferred rather than bricks.
• It is comparatively not strong and durable as compared to stone masonry.
• In case of brick masonry construction plastering is required to make a smooth finish which can increase the cost of the construction.
• Naturally bricks absorbs water and hence there is possibility of dampness in the brickwall. Due to which plaster and paint can be damaged frequently.

Also Read : Brickwork Detailed Specification