Types of Stone Masonry Construction Tools

The term ‘Masonry’ refers to the art of constructing structures out of stone or bricks. Stone masonry is a building technique in which stones are used instead of bricks as the primary building material.

Let us learn more about this construction method in depth.

Principles of Stone Masonry Construction

Cement mortar or lime mortar are used to build stone masonry. Mud can also be used as a binding agent, but only above the plinth level.

The dressing of stone should be done in such a way that when it is installed in a wall or arch, the pressure applied to it is at right angles to its natural quarry bed, or the surface on which it was laying before being quarried. Only high-quality stones should be chosen.

The appearance of continuous vertical joints in the wall face should be avoided during construction. In any two consecutive layers, vertical joints should not overlap. This principle ensures that the stones in the wall are well-bonded, making the wall strong enough to sustain the load.

The connection of the wall’s backing and facing is accomplished by the use of through stones or headers. They should be evenly distributed throughout the entire wall by staggered placement in consecutive courses. Headers in the same course should be spaced no more than 3-4 feet apart.

It is important to remember that the strength of ashlar masonry is determined by the firmness and dressing of the stones, whereas the strength of rubble masonry is determined by the strength of mortar and the compactness of the inner filling of walls, or in general, the quality of craftsmanship.

The masonry work should be kept damp until the mortar has set and hardened. Curing times range from 15 to 21 days. Stones should also be wetted before being installed in a wall, as a dry stone absorbs moisture from the mortar, weakening it.

The load should act axially and centrally on masonry sections as much as possible. If masonry must support non-axial, eccentric, or oblique loads, every precaution should be taken to ensure that no tensile stresses are created in any section of the masonry.

Joints are weak spots in brickwork, and on exposed faces, they should be well treated with cement or strong hydraulic mortar to protect them from the destructive impacts of atmospheric agencies.

Also Read : Stone Calculator – How Much Decorative Stones Do I Need?

Classification/ Types of Stone Masonry

Stone masonry is divided into two types, which are further subdivided based on their application.

• Ashlar Masonry
• Rubble Masonry
  – coursed rubble masonry
  – uncoursed rubble masonry
  – random rubble masonry
  – dry rubble masonry

Ashlar Masonry

Square or rectangular stone blocks are used in ashlar masonry. The courses aren’t always the same height. The stones range in height from 250 to 300 mm. The length of the stones should not be more than three times their height, and the depth of the stones into the wall should be at least half their height.

Because ashlar masonry is too expensive to be utilised for the entire thickness of a wall, it is only used for the face, with the backing filled in with brickwork rubble.

The varieties of dressing used for the surface finishing of ashlar masonry are commonly categorized as:

• plain or fine ashlar
• rough tooled ashlar
• chamferred ashlar
• random ashlar
• block-in course ashlar

Rubble Masonry

Stones of varying sizes are used in rubble masonry. It may have a rectangular face to produce course rubble, or it may have irregular forms to produce uncoursed and random rubble. The following are the different types of rubble masonry :

Coursed Rubble Masonry

This is the most basic and least expensive type of stone walling. The stones used in this style of rubble masonry are of varying sizes, ranging from 50 to 200 mm. Stone masonry of this type is often employed in the construction of public buildings, residential buildings, and other structures.

Uncoursed Rubble Masonry

The stones aren’t dressed in this kind of rubble masonry. Except for knocking away some corners, they are used just as they came from the quarry. The courses are not kept up to date on a consistent basis.

Because this style of rubble masonry is inexpensive, it is commonly used to construct compound walls, godowns, and garages.

Random Rubble Masonry

This form of masonry uses stones of varying shapes and sizes. The stones are arranged in a pleasing pattern. Residential buildings, compound walls and godowns etc can be built from this type of masonry.

Dry Rubble Masonry

The construction of this style of rubble masonry is similar to that of coursed rubble masonry, with the exception that no mortar is used in the joints. Compound walls, retaining walls, and bridge approach pitches are just a few of the applications.

Important Tools Used in Stone Masonry Construction

There are various tools which are required for the construction of stone masonry. Commonly used stone masonry tools for the construction are listed below.

• Trowel : used to lift and spread the mortar.
• Plumb Bob: this is used to ensure that walls are vertically aligned.
• Pitching Tool : makes stones of required sizes.
• Spirit Level : used to ensure that walls are horizontal.
• Hand saw : Cuts soft stones.
• Spall Hammer: large hammer used for rough stone dressing.
• Claw Tool : used for dressing of stone surface.
• Mallet : wooden hammer used to drive wooded-headed chisels.

• Drag : levels stone surface.
• Bevel : device used to set right angles is known as a bevel.
• Gad : used for splitting of stones.
• Pick Axe : used in the quarry to dress rough stone and split the stones.
• Iron Hammer : used for stone carving.
• Scabbling Hammer : used to break small stone projections.
• Frame saw : cuts large stones.
• Crowbar : tool that is used to create stones in a quarry.
• Stone Chisels : used to dress stones.