METHOD STATEMENT

FOR
MASONRY WORK
 MASONRY WORK

General:
There are various types of materials used for masonry works such as bricks, blocks (solid / hollow),
cellular light weight concrete blocks, fly ash lime bricks etc. The mortar used for above masonry
consisting of cement, sand natural as well as crushed, fly ash, water and admixtures. The details for
the above materials are as follows:

Cement:
For masonry works, following checks are important.
1) Cement shall be OPC 43 Grade or PPC and not more than 8 weeks old. 53 Grade if used shall be
adequately blended with fly ash. PPC or OPC-Fly ash combination is recommended since reduced
water demand and low heat of hydration reduces shrinkage and thermal cracks.
2) Cement shall be free from lumps.

Natural Sand:
Sieving of sand should be done for mortar for masonry. Gradation of sand for use in masonry mortars
as per IS 2116 is given below for reference.

IS SIEVES Percentage passing by mass

4.75 mm 100
2.36 mm 90 to 100
1.18 mm 70 to 100
600 microns 40 to 100
300microns 5 to 70
150 microns 0 to 15

If grading of sand falls outside the specified limits as above, the required grading may be obtained by
screening and / or blending together natural sand and crushed sand having required size particles in
appropriate quantities.
Silt content should not exceed 8 % by volume ( 3 % by weight ).
Fineness Modulus can vary from 1.5 to 2.5.

Crushed Sand:
For masonry works, following checks are important.
1) Fineness Modulus can vary from 1.5 to 2.5.
2) If grading of crushed sand falls outside the specified limits as above, the required grading may be
obtained by screening and / or blending together natural sand and crushed sand having required size
particles in appropriate quantities.

Fly ash:
For masonry works, following checks are important:
1) Sources of fly ash must be standardized as per test reports and fly ash must meet the
requirements of IS 3812. Further retention on 45 micron sieve after wet sieving should be less than
20%.
2) Fly ash should be free from lumps.
3) If mortar mix design is made using fly ash, mechanical mixer shall be used while preparing mortar.

Water:
Water must meet the requirements of IS 456:2000 and should be tested at a third party laboratory to
check the compliance before use.

Admixtures:
For admixture following checks are important
 Brand and type of admixtures must be approved & standardized
 Density and chloride content should be checked before approval.
 Revalidation of mix design shall be done in case of any change in brand or type of admixture.

Specifications:
 Bricks:
In spite of various materials available for masonry works such as concrete blocks, stones, fly ash
bricks etc. traditional burnt clay bricks have their own importance in masonry works due to following
advantages.
 Durability
 Good for plaster / finishing works
 Light in weight compared with concrete blocks
 Good thermal insulation property.

Bricks shall be hand moulded or machine moulded, made from suitable soil and shall be free from
cracks, flaws and free lime. Bricks shall be well burnt, cherry red in colour, gives a ringing sound when
struck against each other. Bricks may have well defined frog of 10 mm to 20 mm depth and covering
about 15% of surface area as per relevant BIS. Bricks shall have smooth rectangular faces with sharp
corners and show uniformity in colour. Bricks used as partition walls shall confirm to minimum Class
3.5 as mentioned in IS 1077.
Bricks failing in dimensional analysis, especially in width parameter shall not be used for construction
of external walls to limit plaster thickness, avoid cracking and de-bonding of excessively thick
plasters.
The inspection norms, acceptance criteria and frequency of test of bricks had been laid down in the
following table.
Sr.
Description Mode of Inspection Acceptance Criteria Frequency
No.
1 Dimensional Field Test: Every Truckload /
Analysis 20 bricks at random are chosen Consignment
and placed on a plane
horizontal surface
For 20 bricks lot:

Theoretical length Vs Actual < +/- 80 mm

length < +/- 40 mm
Theoretical width Vs Actual < +/- 40 mm
width
Theoretical height Vs Actual
height
 For individual brick ( out of 20
brick lot)
Max. length of Brick sample VS
Min length of Brick sample < 10 mm

Max. width of Brick sample VS

Min width of Brick sample < 5 mm
Max. height of Brick sample VS
Min height of Brick sample
< 5 mm
* All sides should be in right
angle and edges not broken.
2 Drop Test Field Test:
5 Bricks chosen at random from No bricks should Every truck load.
truckload and dropped from break into pieces.
height of 3’ on flat surface.
3 Average Water External / Internal lab test Not more than 20% Every 10000
absorption bricks or when
source changes
4 Average wet External / Internal lab test Not less than 3.5 Every
MPa Consignment
Crushing
strength
5 Efflorescence External lab test Not more than Every 10000
Coverage ‘Moderate’ as per IS bricks or when
by visual source changes
observation

 Concrete Blocks: (Solid and Hollow)

A) Raw materials and their inspection:
Terminology:
a) Concrete Block shall be applied to concrete masonry unit having any external dimension greater
than the dimension of an ordinary brick and shall be of such size and mass that it can be handled by
one man. Moreover height of block shall not exceed either its length or six times its width. Concrete
blocks shall conform IS 2185 (part 1).
b) Hollow Concrete Blocks: Concrete blocks having holes or cavities such that total solid material lies
between 50 – 75% of total volume of block, calculated by its external dimensions, shall be termed as
Hollow Concrete Blocks.

Both Solid and Hollow Concrete block shall be referred with respect to their external dimensions.
Hollow concrete block shall be of Grade A, Grade B or Grade C whereas Solid concrete blocks shall be
of Grade D as per IS 2185 (Part 1) with the acceptance criteria as specified there in. Use of Fly ash up
to a percentage as approved by quality department with respect to Cement strength/properties is
recommended.
Visually, blocks shall be sound, have uniform texture and shall be free from cracks and other defects
which may impair its strength. The faces of concrete blocks shall be flat rectangular and opposite
faces shall be parallel as also all angles shall be 90o. Minor chipping resulting during handling shall be
allowed.
Concrete blocks shall satisfy Dimensional Analysis Criteria, Block Density, Compressive Strength,
Water absorption test, drying shrinkage etc.

B) Acceptance Criteria:
Following procedure shall be adopted for acceptance of concrete block at site.
Readymade Concrete Blocks:
i) For the purpose of sampling, 20 blocks shall be chosen from every lot / consignment.
(Consignment of 5000 blocks or part thereof of same grade and dimension shall be considered as a
lot).
ii) Blocks selected, shall then be subjected to tests as described and acceptance of the blocks shall be
as per criteria mentioned therein.
iii) Concrete blocks shall bear identification mark of manufacturer as well as Grade of concrete.
iv) Concrete blocks over which plastering is required shall have rough textured faces.

Cast-in-situ Concrete Blocks:

i) Concrete used for making blocks shall not be richer than 1 part of cement by volume to 6 parts by
volume of combined aggregates.
ii) W/C ratio shall be strictly adhered to using electronically measuring device attached to mixing
drum.
iii) Web marking in hollow blocks shall be clearly indicative of good workable concrete.
iv) Blocks shall be properly compacted by vibro-compaction and finished by proper sizes without
breaking edges.
v) After de-moulding, concrete blocks shall be allowed to harden and then cured for a period of
about 14 days by completely immersing in water or by covering with moist wet hessian cloth.
vi) Smooth concrete blocks which require plastering shall be given a rough texture on its faces with
wire brush, while concrete blocks are still green.
vii) After curing, concrete blocks shall be dried for a period of about 2 weeks, prior to their actual
use.

Special checks on hollow concrete blocks:

Face shell thickness and thickness of webs of Hollow Concrete Blocks shall be checked as per
following table as per IS 2185 (part I)

Sr. No. Nominal Block Width (mm) Face Shell Thickness (mm) Thickness of Web (mm)
1 100 or less 25 25
2 100 – 150 25 25
3 150 – 200 30 25
4 Over 200 35 30

 Cellular Light Weight Concrete Block

A) Raw materials and their inspection:
Visual observations: CLC blocks shall be referred with respect to their external dimensions. Visually,
blocks shall be sound, have uniform texture and shall be free from cracks and other defects which
may impair its strength. The faces of CLC blocks shall be flat and rectangular. Opposite faces shall be
parallel and all angles shall be 90o. Minor chipping up to 25 mm resulting during handling in 5% of
blocks inspected shall be allowed.

B) Acceptance criteria:
For the purpose of sampling, 20 blocks shall be chosen from every lot received through
consignment / cast on site and they shall be visually inspected (Consignment / casting lot of 10000
blocks or part thereof same grade shall be considered as a lot).
a) Blocks selected, shall then be subjected to tests as described and acceptance of the blocks shall be
as per criteria mentioned in IS 2185(Part 3)-Clause 10.
b) Factory supplied CLC Blocks shall bear identification mark of manufacturer as well as crushing
strength in Mega Pascal (MPa) or N/mm2.

Guidelines for inspection of Concrete Blocks (Solid and Hollow)

Sr.
Description Mode of Inspection Acceptance Criteria Frequency
No.
1 Dimensional Field Test: Every
Analysis 20 blocks at random are Consignment
checked. < +/- 5 mm
Theoretical Vs Actual Length < +/- 3 mm
Theoretical Vs Actual Width < +/- 3 mm
Theoretical Vs Actual Height
2 Average Block > 1500 kg / cum (Hollow
Density (3 Field Test blocks, Load bearing)
Every
blocks out of 1000 - 1500 kg/cum Consignment
20) (Hollow blocks, Non load
bearing)
> 1800 kg /cum (Solid
blocks)
3 Average Water External / Internal lab test 10% by weight Every
absorption (3 Consignment
out of 20
blocks)
4 Average External / Internal lab test > 2.8 MPa (Hollow load Every
Compressive bearing individual) Consignment
Strength
> 3.5 MPa (Hollow load
bearing average)
> 1.2 MPa (Hollow non
load
bearing individual)
> 1.5 MPa (Hollow non
 load
bearing average)
> 4.0 MPa (Solid
individual)
> 5.0 MPa (Solid average)
5 Average Drying MTC / External Lab test < 0.10 % Once in every
Shrinkage 50000 blocks
or change of
source
6 Visual Defects Field test Free from Minor cracks, Every
chipping in blocks not Consignment
greater than 25 mm in
depth

Guidelines for Inspection of Non Load Bearing CLC Blocks Grade 1 & Grade 2 Ref: IS 2185 (Part 3)
Sr.
Description Mode of Inspection Acceptance Criteria Frequency
No.
1 Dimensional Field Test: Once in every
Analysis 12 blocks at random are 10000 blocks
checked. or change of
< +/- 5 mm
source
Theoretical Vs Actual Length < +/- 3 mm
Theoretical Vs Actual Width < +/- 3 mm
Theoretical Vs Actual Height
2 Average Block Internal Lab Test Not more than 1o00 kg Once in every
Density (3 /cum Grade 1 & 2 10000 blocks
blocks out of or change of
24) source
3 Average External / Internal lab test Density Strength MPa Once in every
Compressive Kg/ cum G1 G2 10000 blocks
Strength ( 6 out 451-550 2 1.5 or change of
of 24 blocks ) 551-650 4 3 source
651-750 5 4
751-850 6 5
851- 7 6
1000
4 Average MTC / External Lab test Density Thermal Once in every
Thermal Conduct 10000 blocks
 Conductivity ( 3 Kg/ cum W / mk or change of
out of 24 451-550 0.21 source
blocks ) 551-650 0.24
651-750 0.30
751-850 0.37
851-
0.42
1000
5 Average Drying MTC / External Lab test < 0.05 % for Grade 1 Once in every
Shrinkage ( 3 blocks 10000 blocks
out of 24 or change of
< 0.10 % for Grade 2
blocks ) source
blocks
6 Visual Defects Field test Free from cracks, right Once in every
angle edges satisfactory, 10000 blocks
( all 24 blocks )
chipping in blocks not or change of
greater than 25 mm in source
depth

C) Nominal dimensions of CLC Blocks Ref: IS 2185 (Part 3):

Concrete block shall be referred to by its nominal dimensions. The term ‘nominal’ means that the
dimension includes the thickness of the mortar joint. Actual dimensions shall be 10 mm short of the
nominal dimensions (or 6 mm short in special cases where finer jointing is specified).
The nominal dimensions of the concrete block shall be as follows:
 Length: 400, 500 or 600mm
 Height: 200, 250 or 300 mm
 Width: 100, 150, 200 or 250 mm
In addition, block shall be manufactured in half lengths of 200,250 or 300 mm to correspond to the
full lengths. The nominal dimensions of the units are so designed that taking account of the thickness
of mortar joints, they will produce wall lengths and heights which will conform to the principles of
modular co-ordination. Blocks of sizes other than those specified above may also be used.

 Fly Ash – Lime Bricks

A) Raw materials and their inspection:
Fly ash – Lime Bricks, sometime referred as calcium silicate bricks shall conform to class 3.5 as
mentioned in IS 12894-table I. Bricks shall be hand mould or machine mould. They shall be made
from pulverized fuel ash from power plant (Fly ash) conforming to grade I or grade II of IS 3812 as
major quantity, lime and accelerator as a catalyst and then intergrading and blending it with other
materials. Such a moulded brick shall be well cured under different conditions of temperature and
pressure.
Visually, bricks shall be sound, compact and uniform in shape. They shall be free from visible cracks,
warpage and organic matters. Bricks of 60- 90 mm height shall have a well-defined frog of 10 mm to
20 mm depth covering about 15% of surface area. However, bricks of 40-30 mm height need not be
provided with frogs. Bricks shall be marked with manufacturer’s identification mark or initials. Bricks
shall have smooth rectangular faces with sharp corners and show uniformity in shape and colour.
Also brick shall satisfy Dimensional Analysis Criteria, Water Absorption test, Wet Crushing Strength,
Efflorescence coverage test. Only lower class fly ash – lime bricks, to be used as partition walls.

B) Acceptance criteria:
Test for dimensional accuracy
i) 20 whole bricks shall be selected at random from the truckload. All the bricks shall be arranged on
a level surface successively in a contact with each other and in a straight line.
ii) Overall length of bricks shall be measured in line. Also difference in maximum and minimum size
of 20 bricks sampled shall be calculated.
iii) Similar procedure shall be adopted for width and height.
iv) Bricks failing in dimensional analysis, especially in width parameter shall not be used for
construction of external walls to limit plaster thickness, avoid cracking and de-bonding of excessively
thick plasters.
v) Criteria for acceptance shall as per the following table

Guidelines for inspection of Fly ash – Lime Bricks

Sr.
Description Mode of Inspection Acceptance Criteria Frequency
No.
1 Dimensional Field Test: Every Truckload /
Analysis 20 bricks at random are chosen Consignment
and placed on a plane
horizontal surface
For 20 bricks lot:

Theoretical length Vs Actual < +/- 80 mm

length < +/- 40 mm
Theoretical width Vs Actual < +/- 40 mm
width
Theoretical height Vs Actual
height
For individual brick ( out of 20
brick lot)
Max. length of Brick sample VS < 10 mm
Min length of Brick sample

Max. width of Brick sample VS < 5 mm

Min width of Brick sample

Max. height of Brick sample VS < 5 mm

Min height of Brick sample

* All sides should be in right

angle and edges not broken.
2 Average Water External / Internal lab test Not more than 20% Every 10000
absorption bricks or when
source changes
3 Average wet External / Internal lab test Not less than 3.5 Every
Mpa Consignment
Crushing
strength
4 Efflorescence External lab test Not more than Every 10000
Coverage ‘Moderate’ as per IS bricks or when
by visual source changes
observation

TOOLS :
A. Trowels, Line Dori, Level Tubes, Plumb Bobs, Measuring Tape, Spirit Levels, Aluminium
Straight Edge, Right Angles.
B. Chipping tools, Mason Trowel, Mason hammer, Levelling thread, Mason Brushes, Mortar
Boxes.

Procedure to be followed for Brick / Block Masonry:

Pre Masonry Checks:
1) Before starting masonry, it should be ensured that all electrical conduiting works should be
complete through beams.
2) Cleaning of slab surface should be done where masonry work to be carried out and centreline of
brick / block work should be marked on the slab. Dimensional checking should be done for room
dimensions and diagonals.
3) Soaking of bricks in stack should be done by immersing in water or by sprinkling with water on the
previous day of laying. The blocks shall be slightly moistened from all sides by little sprinkling of
water. Excessive wetting of blocks shall be avoided.
4) Only required nos. of bricks / blocks should be carried to the work place to carry out the activity.
5) Saw dust / sand bags should be stacked over / around beam and column locations and unloading
of bricks / blocks at work place should be done over it to avoid damages due to unloading.
6) Stacking of bricks should be done near beams and column locations and maximum 100 bricks /
stacking of blocks weighing not more than 300Kg should be stacked over an area of 1 sq. m.
7) Concrete surface should be cleaned of all nails, embedded wooden pieces, etc. using wire brush
before layout for masonry.
8) Adequate hacking of surface should be done to concrete surface (base slab as well as adjacent
column surface). An approved bonding agent (e.g. Hacked plast) may be applied to concrete surface
in place of hacking for bonding.
9) Sieving of sand should be done for mortar for masonry. Gradation of sand for use in masonry
mortars as per IS 2116 is given for reference. If grading of sand falls outside the specified limits as
above, the required grading may be obtained by screening and / or blending together natural sand
and crushed sand having required size particles in appropriate quantities.
10) Line out for masonry work should be done before starting actual laying of masonry. First, slab
surface should be cleaned and applied with cement slurry and a layer of rich mortar. Over this, bricks
shall be laid. Checks for dimensions and right angle should be done as per drawing. Discrepancies in
dimensions shall be adjusted on site in consultation with site engineer to finalize lineout.
11) Scaffolding: - Scaffolding shall be double and shall be erected with steel sections or pipes of
adequate strength so as to be safe for construction operations. The contractor shall take all measures
to ensure the safety of the work and working people. Proper scaffolding shall be provided to allow
easy approach to every part of the work. Overhead work shall not be allowed. Making holes of any
kind for the purpose of supporting the scaffolding shall not be permitted. The scaffolding shall be
sound and strong to withstand all loads likely to come upon it.
During Masonry Checks:
1) Mortar for masonry should be mixed in desired proportions in M. S trays only. In absence of M. S
trays, mortar should be prepared in sunk of toilets or by creating a circular bund of bricks / blocks.
This should be done to avoid loss of cement slurry while preparing mortar. Batching of sand should
be strictly done by pharmas ( measuring boxes ).
2) Replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement by fly ash up to a percentage as approved by quality
department with respect to Cement strength/properties is recommended and may be done in
mortars for which mixing should be done in mechanical mixers only and the mortar shall be brought
to work place by wheel barrows and unloading should be done in M. S trays / sunk slabs / bunds at
work place.
3) Crushed sand can be used individually or blending it with natural sand as per gradation
requirement.
4) It is essential that proper water cement ratio is maintained in mix. After mixing, mortar should not
show excess bleeding water. Admixtures, if recommended, should be added in proper dosages.
5) First layer of brick work should be laid as per layout marked with position of frog upwards and first
layer of block work with a mortar of one grade higher. If necessary, first layer of block shall be laid
with concrete, so that all the subsequent layers can be laid in full block height and no cutting of
blocks is required while laying top course below beams. Bricks / blocks laid on top should be tamped
for proper bondage. Level adjustment should be done in the thickness of mortar bed so that top of
laid course is in perfect level. Spirit level should be used for the same.
6) Subsequent layers of bricks / blocks should then be laid over first layers, care being taken so that
each layer is truly horizontal and joint thickness is not more than 15mm horizontal as well as vertical.
7) Use of mortar should be made within 90 minutes of preparation and any mortar which has set
should not be mixed with fresh mortar. Also it essential that water should not be added to increase
workability since it reduces strength of mortar. Instead use of plasticizer is recommended. While
preparing mortar, cement and sand shall first be dry mixed and then water is to be added in
appropriate quantity.
8) Mortar should be dashed on column surfaces as work progresses for proper adhesion. Gap of 20
mm shall be left between column surface and masonry. Use of trowel for filling gap between column
surface and masonry works should be avoided. Joints between column surface and masonry shall be
filled with rich mortar and then packed with 20 mm metal.
9) In a days work, brick/block work should not be constructed more than 1.2m height for 6”/9” walls
and 0.9 m height for 4” walls at the most. At the end of the day, joints (horizontal & vertical) should
be raked to a depth of 10 mm with the help of raking needle. Such brick/block work should be
watered within 12 hours of construction. Minimum curing period recommended is 7-10 days
depending on type of cement and climatic conditions.
10) Special precaution should be taken at the junction of 9” to 4” wall by properly interlocking bricks
and at the junction of brick and block walls.
11) Next day an RCC (M 15) band of 3” / 4” in height should be constructed over the brick / block
work (4” or lesser) laid earlier. This imparts additional strength to the brick / block work. Such bands
need not be provided for 6” and higher thickness of walls for normal room heights up to 3 m. It is
recommended to put 8 mm bars (2 nos.) within RCC bands and anchored properly in main walls /
columns.
12) Local lintels should be cast before fixing door frames as per drawing with sufficient bearing on
masonry walls. Recommended bearing of lintels on masonry is 6” and anchoring of lintels to columns
should be done by drilling holes (minimum 4” deep inside columns) and thereafter filling the holes
inserting projecting bars from lintels into it and entire holes should be filled with epoxy based non-
shrink grout for proper bondage. Lintel bottom level should be checked accurately from finished floor
level. Shuttering, if cast on site for lintels, lofts and chajjas shall not be erected within 3 days of
construction of masonry.
13) In Hollow Concrete Block work, care shall be taken so that mortar doesn’t get filled in the cavities
of blocks to avoid unnecessary wastage of mortar.
14) It is important that in both Solid as well as Hollow Concrete Block Masonry works following is
attended to:
a) Top course at sill level and jambs of openings as well as top course touching beam or slab soffits
are constructed using Solid Blocks or with Hollow Blocks with cavities filled with M10 concrete.
b) For conduiting through hollow blocks, the cores shall be filled with mortar at the location of
conduiting for the purpose of chasing to required depth.
15) Fixing of sub frame is strongly recommended.
16) Bottom edge of brick / block work should be raked and 15 mm portion away from walls should be
filled with lean mortar for expansion of tiles.
17) Door frames should be preferably be fixed while masonry is being constructed, to avoid gaps
between door frame and masonry surface.
18) It is recommended to use very heavy holdfasts for door frames and hence from practical point of
view recommendation for holdfast are; 4 nos. for external door and 3 nos. for internal doors each.
Holdfast should be of MS (Galvanized or painted with red oxide), 350 mm long 40 mm wide and 2
mm thick and fully embedded in concrete / screwed to columns.
19) When door frames are to be fixed after masonry construction, temporary brick pieces should be
filled to the entire length of holdfasts and to the height equal to two courses of bricks at the
positions of holdfasts during construction of masonry and while fixing door frames, holdfasts should
be anchored into required positions by filling the surrounding gap by 1:2:4 concrete using 10 mm
downgraded coarse aggregate. Recommended positions of holdfasts are 300 mm each from top and
bottom and third at centre. Fixing of holdfasts to columns should be done by drilling and nailing
alternately on either side. Gap between door frames and masonry surface should be filled with rich
mortar with fibres or non-shrink mortar.
20) If door frames are fixed along with masonry construction, it is strongly recommended that door
frames fixing should be done by taking level pads (spots) of plaster on masonry walls whenever door
frame is flush with plaster. Door frames shall be fixed so that it is parallel to room dimensions.
21) Door frames should be checked for any cracks, bends, plainness, depths of rebates as per
drawing and door frames showing deviations beyond repairs should not be used. Minor bends in
door frames should be corrected out by inserting wedges.
22) It is must that all openings other than doors should be provided with PCC bands.
23) One more level correction should be carried out at the top of PCC / RCC band.
24) Above PCC / RCC band, masonry courses are laid in the similar way as explained earlier. However
masonry work should not continue upto soffits level of beams above. The reason for this being,
shrinkage which occurs within the masonry already constructed. So it is recommended to leave a gap
of one layer of bricks with 25 mm gap below beam bottom while constructing masonry for the same.
25) After a gap of 7 days, top most layer of masonry should be laid using non-shrink mortar as a filler
material between masonry and RCC beam bottom to avoid any subsequent gap formation due to
shrinkage. Also 20 mm metal packing should be done within the joint between masonry top and
beam bottom.
26) For masonry works, which requires stoppage for any reason whatsoever, a stepped joint at
approximately 45º should be provided as a horizontal joint for proper bondage of bricks later. For
cross wall connection bricks should be left projecting at every third course in the main wall for joining
to cross wall later.
27) It is recommended that for 4” and less partition walls, electrical switch boxes should not be
placed back to back since while making grooves from both sides for embedded electrical conduiting,
the masonry wall gets weakened.
28) Care shall be taken to see to it that vertical mortar joints in successive brick layers are staggered.
29) For box type aesthetic features, which are closed from outside, a small opening in masonry shall
be kept during construction. Inside face of box shall be plastered and bottom portion shall be applied
with water proof cement sand coat and finished with rounding. The base coat shall be given slope
outwards and provided with minimum two spouts to drain off water. Mortar droppings within the
box shall be removed from the openings provided.
30) During masonry work, strong supervision is required for achieving good workmanship and quality
work.

Post Masonry Checks:

1) Date of construction (DOC) should be marked on masonry to monitor curing. Curing shall be
carried out by wetting the brick masonry for 7-10 days depending on type of cement and climatic
conditions. In hot weather, curing shall commence within 12 hrs. of construction of masonry. Care
should be taken that the masonry surface should remain moist throughout the period of curing.
2) It is recommended that chases in masonry should be made using round wheel cutter with light
chiselling so that masonry works is not damaged. Also chases in masonry lesser than 6” thick should
be done after plastering work is complete.
3) Depth of chases should be only 5 mm more than diameter of electrical conduits to be embedded.
Excessive chasing weakens the masonry. No chasing shall be done in RCC structural member.
4) After conduits are put in chases, chases are rendered with non-shrink grout with fibres and
chicken mesh is fixed over it.
5) In case of any major defects such as major differences in level, plumb of masonry, dismantling
shall be carried out as per instructions from QA Department.

Tolerances:
Following checks should be given once brick masonry construction is over:
1) Horizontal / Vertical joint thickness should be uniform, truly horizontal or truly vertical and not
more than 15 mm thick.
2) Tolerance limit for coarse level should be 10 mm maximum.
3) Raking of joints – minimum 10 mm deep.
4) Checking plumb of walls:
 Non plumb face of masonry should not be out of plumb of more than 10 mm.
 Plumb face of masonry should not be out of plumb by more than 5 mm.
(IS specifies maximum 6 mm tolerance for a storey of height 3 m and 12.5 mm for entire height of
building more than single storied building)
5) Checking room dimension: Tolerance kept for diagonal distance is 10 mm.
6) Checking qualities of bricks on masonry walls: Over burnt bricks should be limited to 10%. Bricks
showing high variation in dimensions should be limited to only 10% of walls under observation.