Chapter 5 BRICKWORK A. GENERAL Examine the sample panel of brickwork illustrated below. ‘What observations can we make? al En fa a ee ea ee eee) LILLE (1) Materials used are bricks and cement mortar (dagha) (2) The bricks are arranged in a definite pattern (3) The Horizontal mortar joints are equally spaced and are level. (4) Vertical joints are equal in thickness There are thus standard rules and qualities that can be expected from good brickwork. Let us consider each of the points above: 1. MATERIALS 1.1 Bricks The architect may specify bricks of various colour, texture, size and material composition (re clay, cement). Clay bricks are burt in a kiln in order to achieve the prescribed hardness and cement bricks need a drying period after manufacture in order to achieve the correct strength. Apart from this grouping one will encounter various types in terms of the points of use. The purpose and final finish of the wall will determine which types of brick are specified. The following properties of the selected bricks must be checked before using them. 1.1.1 Strength A Brick must be strong enough to transfer the loads imposed on it without cracking, A 7 MPa crushing strength is usually specified, Clay bricks that are under burnt or cement bricks that are not properly cured may not have the required strength 112. Size Bricks must be of uniform size. This is of utmost importance when face bricks are being used (ie, unplastered wall). ‘The standard brick size is 230 mm long, 110 mm wide and 75 mm high.1.13 Mass Bricks must be light in mass. Clay bricks are often manufactured with holes in them to save on materials and mass. (The heavier the brick the more effort will be needed by the bricklayer.) 1.1.4 Surface defects The visible face and corners of face bricks must be defect free. Any crack or chip will spoil the effect of the face bricks and may lead to water penetration. 1.1.5 Impermeability Bricks must not allow water to penetrate and cement bricks in particular must be throughly tested to ensure that they do not absorb water. 1.2 Wall dimensions, and the use of bricks, No wall may be less than 110 mm thick, a brick may therefore only be used to add 75 mm in height (a maxi brick with different height dimension is however available). A normal partition wall (non-loadbearing) will thus be 110 mm wide and is called a half brick wall. (A. 44 bk wi) ‘Where two skins are joined as a unit it will be 230 mm wide and it is referred to as a one brick wall (1bk wl.) The two skins may also be separated to form a cavity for moisture penetration control and it is normally a 270 mm total width where the cavity is thus 50 mm.We also may find header, rolled and soldier courses. 7 ter | Eebsce | el ‘Sueeurvsae Drage rEg (Non Coniomity) Rolled and soldier courses are used over openings, 13 Mortar ‘Mortar or “dagha” is the compound (glue) that physically sticks the bricks together and is manufactured of site by mixing sand, cement and water together. The mortar must have the same strength as the bricks and this is regulated by increasing or decreasing the ratio of sand to cement (the more cement the greater the strength.) The standard mix is 6:1. In some cases where the sand is of a poor quality lime is added to make the mortar more “workable” the sand : lime: cement ratio is usually 6 :3 : 1. Mortar must be mixed in small quantities as and when required and must be kept workable by constantly turning it with a shovel. Do not keep on adding water as the cement will be washed out. Proper dagha boards must be used to ensure that the water does not escape Special retarders may be used to extend the time of use before setting but as a rule all dagha should be used withing three hours in moderate weather conditions, The sand must be sieved and all small pebbles and foreign material removed prior to use. 2. BRICK BONDS Let us look at the second observation: “The bricks are arranged in a pattern” We refer to this pattern as the BOND used by the bricklayer 2.1. Stretcher bond ‘The most common bond used is the stretcher bond where horizontal courses are staggered at half brick intervals.2.2. English bond English bod is used with one brick walls where a strecher couse i sion top of header course. The header course binds the two skins of the stretcher course together and results in a structurally stronger wall. [As comers, junctions and bonds in general will be dealt with in a practical class, we will not go into any more detail, take note however that you may also encounter Flemish bond. ONE BRICK WALL ENGLISH BOND 35 Lan of couRsE Y TsomeTare View oF ONE -ORICK ain yee RUiN oF course « ONE SRICK WALL TH} aueen cose — TH Teowerare View OF ONE-BRICK WALL WITH CORNER AND STOPPED END } x 7 nest nesaer x avin x I x + t ¥ cae fCevariow of wate wire oe Puaw af COURSE x Sera ee oc ygepeD ENO PLAN oF couase x &3. BRICK COURSES Bricks must be laid with horizontal joints running parallel and of the same thickness, In order to have a level final brick course at the right height to accept the roof trusses the following requirements must be met: (a) Foundations must be level. To compensate for a sloping site “steps” must be cast into the foundations (as previously discussed). (b) The “gauge” used to determine the height of each course must be uniform throughout the building, 3.1 What is a “GAUGE” ‘A “‘gaugerod” is usually a vertical timber post, which has marked on it the number of courses. required to build the brickwork up to the designed height. These “gaugerods” are erected (perfectly “plumb or vertical) at the comers of the brickwork. The bricklayers then lay the <> bricks so that the top of each brick lines up with a line strung between two rods. led WY NY) SOY Sy S is AN WS” KP A AN AN _ \ A brick course is usually the height of the brick (75 mm) plus the height of the mortar joint (10 mm) giving a total of 85 mm, But the brickwork is often designed to @ height that does not allow a.85 mm course Eg. The design height from floor to roof height is 2.600 m. gouge on 1%2.600 m/ 85 mm =30,6 courses. As we do not want to “chop” a brick to achieve a final course of 0,6 we must adjust the height of the mortar joints, Say we decide on having 31 courses in total. 2,600 /31 = 84 mm per course The brick size remains the same and the joint must decrease in size 84 mm total | € 75 mm brick {— Sata [IT What would the joint size be if we decided, on only 30 courses? Once the course height has been calculated it is transferred onto the guagerod which then becomes the gauge. NB: All gauges used must have the same course size. 4. VERTICAL JOINTS Vertical joints “perps” are essential for the aesthetics of a building and can only be achieved if the bricks are of similar length and if the bricklayer controls the width of | the joint accurately. A spirit level (or plumb) must be used extensively to check the joints. As with horizontal joints the size of the “perps” can be adjusted to steal or compensate for design irregularities. Eg. A facebrick will 7,970 m long will need. 7,970 | (230 mm + 10 mm) = 33,2 bricks As this would spoil the appearance of the wall we can adjust the width of the “perp” Eg. 7,970 /33 = 242 mm joint size is: 242 mm total - 230 mm brick size 12 mm joint 5. THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD BRICK WALL 1) Load transfere without the brickwork cracking, 2) The ability to withstand wind forces and moisture penetration. 3) Joints to be equal, parallel neat and clean, 4) Wall to be vertical. 5) Brick colours (facebrick) and texture to be similar and as designed,4.112 BEVELED clos 411 BRICK TERMS 4.1.12 KING CLOSER6. BASIC RULES 6.1 Comers must be raised evenly and must be stepped back Sketch b shows a comer that is not stepped back and it is clear that a weak bond at this very important point will be the end result. 6.2. With cavity walls, the inside and outside skins need not be constructed simultaneously but as work progress in stages, the work must be alternated inside and outside. The cavity must be cleaned at the end of every day to prevent dagha bridges between the two skins. Galvanised cavity ties must be provided every 3rd course, 2 m apart alternatively. df 4d oe DOUBLE-TRIANGLE —POLYPROPYLENE Twisre> ste. gurrearty ne Pustie Te THE (GALVANISED) WIRE THE Cavities 6.3 bricklayer should not be required to lay bricks higher than his tummy, use scaffolding and do not lift a skin more than 15 courses in one day. If this limit is exceeded the dagha beds at the bottom will be overloaded resulting in horizontal cracks and an unnecessary risk of the wall being blown over. 6.4 Joints must be raked out (not to deep) and must be finish off withenough-jointing tools can be used and for plaster an angled joint is required. MORTAR FINISHES LZ ZA A ¢f A 7 | J) 7 7p 7A 6.5 Facebrickwork must be properly cleaned. Brush or chip excessive mortar as soon as the dagha has set and do not allow this dagha dirt to dry. Acid or other washes may be used ‘but remember to do this cleaning before the plumber installs his pipes.6.6 Where internal walls join up with external walls, the intemal walls can be delayed to a later stage so as to facilitate better use of scaffolding during the construction of the outer walls. (Do not leave holes in the wall- provide teeth sticking out. See sketch). 6.7 Provide waterproofing at the correct points ‘More on waterproofing later. 6.8 Provide brickforce every second layer under and above openings, like windows.8. WINDOWS AND DOORS In the construction of the super structure the first aim is to proceed up to the door height. During this stage the most important work revolves around the building in of doorftames and windows. Bl DOORFRAMES Mace from timber or steel, frames will arrive assembled on site. It is therefor important that we will be able to distinguish between good and sub- standard quality. TIMBER FRAMES A frame consists out of two styles and a head and for external applications a threshold will also be required. ends of head project [co 25 home for building ln Read of frame ca eX ICOX75 terered € fe Read brace ae building is ngThe following points will be evaluated if we look as quality: 1. A hardwood like Meranti will last much longer than pine and is important for external uses. The section from which the frame is made must be strong. (106 * 75mm), Where required a threshold must be provided. Joints must be ridged. (M & T joints) Rebates must be even to take a standard size door. wan Doce OPENING, ST +6457 = S2T an After delivery the door is sanded down and is treated with sanding sealer to prevent stains from mortar or plaster, The protruding ears of the head will be sawn of or shaped if required and the styles can be lifted to a specific height, whilst levelling the head by providing a roofing sorew to each style. The frame is now prepared for the positioning and staying. It is good practice to set the frame up as close to the edge of one of the walls as possible, this will provide a complete opening. (See the sketches below) The frame can also be adjusted sideways, ensure however that you provide for light switches and a free swing for the door.‘The most important point in the building in of the doorframe is that the frame will be square and level without being ce-ormed during the building in process. Possible mistakes are indicated below. ] | Once the frame is thus set up and stayed it must be checked regularly. Where the doorframe is build into an external wall a d.p.c. is used to isolate the internal and external skins of the cavit wall whilst the anchors will be built into the inner skin. Take note that the frame is “flush” with the plaster and that the joint is then covered with a timber architrave. The stays can be removed once the brickwork is completed but protection against damage from wheelbarrows is important. Steel doorframes as commonly referred to, is measured as doorliners. We can also make use of timber doorliners, Where a doorframe is a non-structural unit, the doorliner consists of three separate components that will be fixed to the brickwork after the opening have been constructed in the wall. This was standards practice in the 50's and we do use liners in prestige type buildings today stil. rchnoues Fond in powiion to wg = used vo coryinehon wis pooled 2—Fnood Wong Sad tam “7Steel door liners are freely available for half- and one brick walls and may be used inland also as an external framing. Manufactured from 1,2 mm thick steel it is galvanized with two hinges already attached. It is therefor quite important that the direction of opening be specified when the liners are ordered. See the sketches below. ‘The liner will be set up like for a frame but additional horizontal braces will be required during the building in process. Apart from the fact that the brickwork ties into the liner, four achors per style will also help to secure the liner in the wall. To prevent the possibility of condensation behind the metal dagga is used to fil all gaps between the wall and the metal. Fixing lug 686 men 782 B13 evA fanlight is required for light to a corridor without windows and a transom will then be used to separate the door opening and the fanlight. HEAD KoP a 190 Finished Floor Level Alaewerkte Viogiviae ialB2 WINDOWS As for doorframes, windowframes arrive on site ready to be build in. Timber frames can be either purpose made or can be ex stock. Steel frames are available in residential or in industrial type in a large variety of sizes but can also be purpose made to fit a specific design. A window must provide light and ventilation and the posi specified seshes hung on spring [— sesh un n of the hinges must thus be 1g_on centre : 3 [uiae re centre ee } : Wy a t f. gives good controlled ven: ‘ation good ventilation han casement types - con be obtained hung opening in BOTTOM HUNG CASEMENT Without ony ferward or Seceward with only smell Es reversible tor ecsy clecning Projection of sesh projections of sosh sige nung sash top tung opening cut opening out — FIXED LIGHT SIDE HUNG Top HUNG CASEMENT CASEMENT usually used in simplest and suolly ot small Eenjunetion with cheapest type ether types. of opening window size for controles ventiletion A frame is subdivided by transoms and mullions, top hung ventiignt neoa direct glazes tixee fight jam | gloved fixed light i | direct glazed fi TYPICAL EL Sosh ed aa EVATIONS TYPICAL MODIFIED 8S VERTICAL SECTION use as fer top. hung eosementA timber frame must be manufactured from 69 * 44mm hardwood and must not be warped. The sash (opening section) is moulded from a thinner section and must prevent water penetration, Steel frames are welded up from standard hot rolled sections and is then galvanized,In planning for the building in of the frame we will notice that the top of the frames are normally on the same level as the head of the door. We number all the windows, and place the order well in time as delays are common. We will also determine the number of courses to be bricked up before the frame is set up allowing for the window cill. The cill will also determine the position of the frame in the width of the wall. v/s Lert id i:Building in of the frame, 1, Set the window up on two rolled bricks and adjust the height with small wedges to the correct gauge. (ensure that the lugs fit the gauge and that the vertical D.P.C. is attached to the styles. Brace to the inside of the building brace 2. Complete the brickwork to the top of the frame and do not leave windows unsecured over night, they will get swiped. 3. Provide a lintol over the opening and complete the brickwork to the required roof level. 4. Plastering will now be completed. 5. The cills will now be constructed. Various materials can be used. The most common types are, hard wood, fibre cement, clay tiles or ceramic tiles, for facebrick external cills a brick on edge is most common. See the detail below.Read of frame & loox es jop vail of ventiight ‘glazing rebate top tung mtg, ~~ boon Vall of venti eax es Se Taro 0 75 xEB~_ ae ant-capilary groove. ~~ % top rail of casevent SON f 2 Aa x £0 _— et a lion ee &< 70xB tiles of casement 44 x 50 | NL pest of frame Nex 7 es bolton wil oF coscmert & 44 x60" Standard weed casement widowad of frawe & Goxa4 = Fe Wwon Aiton. trent casement tag locks to eatety when window is closed see | bation vail eeC. LINTOLS The brickwork over a door or window or over a plain opening has to be supported to obviate the transfer of the brickwork to the door or window frame or to prevent a collapse. For this a lintol will be used. We can distinguish three types of lintols. Cl, BRICK LINTOLS Where facebricks have become very popular due to its low maintenance brick lintols are commonly used, often incorrectly and the failing of brick lintols is the single most common form of brickwork failures. A stretcher course can not be used. Neither can a header course be used. A roller course or soldier course can span over small openings. To place a definite limit to which bricks can be used is difficult as the load above the opening and the number of brick courses as well as the span need to be considered. A maximum of 1,8m would however be safe if minimum of six courses of normal brickwork, reinforced with brickforce is used. ‘Take note that if a soldier course is used the frame must be placed in such a way that the cavity will be in line with the frame.The most important point to remember where both the soldier and roller courses were used, is to ensure that the stretcher course directly above the lintol will oversail the lintol without interfering with the chosen brick gauge. 2 ‘Where the roof will provide an overhang of 450 to 600 mm the cavity above the lintol can be filled solid with concrete for extra strength. Pua Te, The procedure employed in building a brick lintolis as follows: 1. Brickwork is completed to the top of the frame 2. Timber, 150 * 38mm called soffits or turning pieces are placed next to the frame on either side horizontally and is stayed in position to temporary support the brickwork 3. The roller course is bricked in resting on the soffits, not the frame. 4. Brickforce is positioned and normal stretcher course brickwork is completed. (Remember to position the roof ties) 5. Ifunder roofoverhang, the cavity will now be filled with concrete and the soffits removedC2, PRE-CAST CONCRETE LINTOLS These lintols are manufactured prior to delivery to site and are made of 5 or 6 strands. of 2,6 mim steel high tensile wires stretched in a mould and ten concrete is poured around the wires, They are available in lengths from 900 mm to 6 m and in 108 and 146 mm widths with a depth of 70 mm. Roe Rineceen, ste These lintols can not act as structural single units and must be used with brickwork to form a lintol. Further more, these lintols must be clamped in at the two ends for at least 300mm During the construction period the lintol must be supported. | =, fl Unto, PASE, OPENING C3. IN-SITU CONCRETE LINTOLS For larger spans use is made of concrete cast in position on the wall to form a lintol, The detail will depend on the span and loading,