Brick masonry and its use in the field of civil engineering....

1. Brick Masonry

2.  A No one really knows the age of brick masonry.
 B Common sense would dictate that the lack of
construction materials for shelter in lands where no
natural stone was available, would lead to
innovations with whatever material is at hand
 C Where there was land there was soil, and if there
was water there was mud. And soil particles stick
together and form a hard mass when the sun dries
the moisture.
 D Mud bricks were molded by hand and allowed to
dry in the sun, and stockpiled for future use. Small
units were easily handled.

3.  E Mud bricks were stacked with mud mortar,
which varied in thickness to accommodate irregular
shapes.
 F It was learned that the best bricks were made of
soil that had very tiny particles and became sticky
when wet. The material we call clay.
 G In the southwest regions of North America,
“Adobe” bricks were made of a clay that has come
to be known as adobe clay, which was particularly
good for making mud bricks. Adobe was further
strengthened by adding short strands of straw to
the mix. Adobe bricks are still made and used
today.

4.  H Consistency of size did not become prevalent
until units were cast into molds, which greatly
facilitated ease of assembly.
 I The industrial revolution of the late 1800s
brought about the firing of masonry in kilns, which
made the units very hard and strong.
 J In the early 1900s other materials surpassed brick
in use because of strength requirements for
buildings too tall and heavy to be supported by a
“mass” type wall.
 K But brick has and intimacy about it that remains
a warm and friendly material for use in
construction of residences and office buildings

5.  A Mortar is a vital part of brick construction.
 B As bricks are made of clay, then fired in a furnace
to remove the moisture and make them hard, they
are impossible to make in exact, consistent size –
but in modern day it is close.
 C In early times, mortar was used as a cushion to
align the assembly process to maintain square and
plumb in a structure. Additional strength in the
mortar mix was not necessary because it was made
of the same material as brick.
 D But since fired bricks are much stronger than the
original sun-dried clay, the strength of mortar was
improved to make stronger buildings.

6.  E With the development of natural cement for the
manufacture of concrete, it became a natural matrix
for masonry mortar.
 F Mortar is a mix much like concrete; which
consists of stone aggregates held together by a
matrix. In the case of concrete, that consists of a
gradation of large rocks, smaller rocks, and still
smaller particles (sand) – all mixed consistently and
held together by a paste of cement and water,
which hardens by a chemical process called
hydration.
 G Masonry mortar is a mixture of sand, cement, and
water, with the addition of lime to lend smoothness
and workability to the mix.

7.  Provides for full bearing of weight
 Maintains the strength of the masonry wall
 Seals against moisture and vermin
 Bonds the masonry units together
 It should be a part of the
aesthetic value of a
building.

8.  A Early molding of bricks was done by shaping a
mass of mud by hand.
 B Then individual single molds made of wood
increased production and consistency of size.
 C Then multiple molds made of wood increased
production even more.
 D Today, very sophisticated methods exist for
shaping bricks by extruding clay through a steel
form, then cutting to individual units with wire.

10.  E The making of bricks became more sophisticated
with units extruded and wire cut, then fired in gas
kilns. Production and quality of units increased
tremendously.
 F The color of bricks up until approximately 20
years ago depended upon the color of clay, which
was found in large deposits in the ground.
 G Constant use of brick as a veneer in residential
and commercial construction as population grew,
led to depletion of consistent color clay deposits.
 H Now, nearly all brick used in residential
construction are made of any clay, but given their
color by a slurry mix that is applied to the units
before firing.

11.  Basic types of brick:
 Common brick: Units made of clay where color
and surface finish are not a factor, because of
use as a “backup” structural material in an area
where it will never be seen.
 Face brick: Units made where appearance is the
main consideration. Face brick for commercial
use is still made with specific colors of clay.
 Special bricks may be made for specific
purposes. Should an Architect desire a special
shape to be used in creating an unusual desired
effect in a design, brick companies will custom
make the units.

12.  Fire brick is made of a specific type of white
clay, with special additives for use in the
firebox of fireplaces, ovens, kilns, and other
firing mechanisms.
 Bricks, generally are made with holes (except
fire brick) to reduce the weight of material not
needed for structure, and to provide a method
for additional adherence of mortar.
 Bricks made of the same material as concrete
masonry units are available on a limited basis,
but have never been accepted for widespread
use.

13.  BRICK SHAPES AND SIZES
 The text shows a chart with 12 sizes of bricks, but
all available sizes and shapes are not listed.
 Two shapes of brick are commonly used, but many
others are made for specific purpose.
 Modular Brick – nominally lay 8” long, 4” thick,
& 3 courses high = 8”. Texas Tech uses modular
brick. For use where strength and appearance is
important.
 King Size Brick – nominally lay 10” long, 3”
thick, & 2 ½” high. For use as a veneer where
economy is the main concern.

14.  Eight modular size bricks are required to lay one
square foot of surface wall, but it takes only 5.4
king size bricks for the same area. So, king size
brick are made strictly for economy.
 Bricks shapes made for appearance:
 Roman brick – basically 12” long, 4” thick, 1 ½”
high.
 Norman brick – basically 12” long, 4” thick, 3
courses = 8” high.
 Big Johns – basically 12” long, 4” thick, 4” high.

15.  BRICK ARRANGEMENT TERMINOLOGY
 A Bricks are laid in a variety of arrangements,
mostly today for the sake of appearance. In earlier
times when a wall consisted of several layers
thickness, bricks were turned endways through the
wall for structural bond. Named patterns evolved
in the process, such as English bond, Flemish bond,
etc.
 B Common course pattern for structure and
appearance:
Stretcher – Bricks laid flat end to end.
Soldier – Laid vertically so the outside
long edge shows.
Rowlock - Laid so the end shows,
vertically.
Header – Laid so the end shows, horizontally

16. Bed
Joint
Head
Joint
Course - horizontal layer of brick

17. Header - Bonds two wythes together
Wythe: vertical layer 1 unit thick
Soldier - Laid on its end, face parallel
Rowlock -
laid on face,
end visible
Stretcher - long dimension horizontal
& face parallel to the wall

18.  There is No standard size
 Normal coursing - 3 modular bricks = 8”
 Larger sizes available
 Custom shapes & colors are available

20.  Various tools are used
to treat the surface
finish of mortar joints.
 Some are done to
repel water, but most
are done for
appearance.
Concave
Flush
Raked
Stripped
Struck
Weathered
Vee

21. Concave joints done primarily for weather proofing

22. Raked joints are made primarily for appearance

23.  In the category of the Earnheardts, Emmet Smith, Tiger
Woods, etc, this man is the world champion bricklayer of
2004. In a contest in Las Vegas, Bob Bol laid 765 bricks in
ONE HOUR. That’s 12.75 bricks per minute – or one brick
every 5 seconds.
 He won a prize of $2,000.