Introduction to

masonry structures
CHAPTER 7

Masonry
MASONRY means an arrangement of masonry units which may be brick, rectangularised stone,
ashlar or cement blocks laid to a bond and joined together with mortar.
I.

the basic component of masonry are block, brick and mortar

II.

Mortar is a composite of cement, lime and sand and sometimes of other

constituents

.MASONRY UNIT means an individual unit which is bonded to similar units with the help of
mortar to form a masonry element such as a wall, column, pier, buttress, etc., and conforming to
the Nepal Standard Brick Masonry NS: 1/2035.

Composition of masonry units

I.

Choice of masonry units are generally made from the consideration of

local availability, compressive strength, age and ease of construction.

Advantages of
masonry structures

Disadvantages of
masonry structures

Most types of masonry typically will

not require painting and so can
provide a structure with reduced life
cycle costs.
Masonry structures are heat
resistance and thus provide good fire
protection
Masonry structures built in
compression preferably with lime
mortar can have a useful life of more
than 500 years as compared to 30 to
100 for structures of steel or
reinforced concrete.

Extreme weather causes degradation of masonry wall surfaces due to frost

damage
Masonry tends to be heavy and must be built upon a strong foundation
Requires more skilled labour than steel framing .

Some definitions
Stretcher : this is a brick laid with its length parallel to the face or front or
direction of wall. The course containing stretcher is called a stretcher course
Header : this is a brick laid with its breath or width parallel to the face or
front direction. The course containing headers is called head course
Bed : The lower surface of brick when laid flat is known as the bed.

Mortars are usually named according to

the binding material used in their
preparation.
They are essentially required for
masonry work, plastering and pointing
etc.
FUNCTIONS OF MORTAR:
To bind together the bricks or stones
properly so as to provide strength to the
structure.
To form a homogenous mass of the
structure so as to resist all the loads

 To provide a weather resisting i.e., a

durable layer between the different
courses of masonry in the structure.
To hold coarse aggregate together in
any concrete so as to form a solid
mass. The mortar used in a concrete is
termed as matrix.
To do pointing and plastering to the
structure.
The
mortar
used
for
plastering is known as plaster.
To fill up empty joints in brick and stone
masonry. The mortar used for such
purposes is a thin liquid mortar which is
termed as grout and the process is

Cement mortar
Cement mortar:
The paste is prepared by mixing cement and sand in suitable proportions in
addition to water.
The general proportion is 1 part of cement to 2-8 parts clean sand.
These mortars must be use within half an hour, i.e.; before initial setting time
of the cement.
This type is used for all engineering works where high strength is desired
such as load bearing walls, deep foundations, flooring etc.

Types of Masonry walls

Based on load bearing
Load bearing masonry walls.
Non-load bearing masonry walls.
Based on construction
Reinforced masonry walls
Unreinforced masonry walls

Load bearing masonry walls

Aload-bearing
wall(orbearing wall) is
awallthat bears a load resting
upon it by conducting its
weight to
afoundationstructure.
The materials most often used
to construct load-bearing walls
in large buildings areconcrete,
block, orbrick.

Application Of Load Bearing Wall

Depending on the type of building and the number of stories, load-bearing
walls are gauged to the appropriate thickness to carry the weight above
them. Without doing so, it is possible that an outer wall could become
unstable if the load exceeds the strength of the material used, potentially
leading to the collapse of the structure.
HOUSING
TALL BUILDINGS

Non-Load Bearing Wall

Walls that are only intended to
support themselves and the
weight of the cladding or
sheathings attached.
Non load bearing walls provide
no structural support and may
be interior or exterior walls.

Reinforced Masonry Walls

Reinforced masonry
Reinforced masonry is a construction system where steel reinforcement in
the form of reinforcing bars or mesh is embedded in the mortar or placed in
the holes and filled with concrete.
Reinforcement increases the tensile and compressive strength of wall
After reinforcement the resistance to seismic loads and energy dissipation
capacity may be improved significantly.
Reinforcement should be integrated with masonry so that all materials of
reinforced masonry system acts monolithically when resisting gravity and
seismic loading.

There are various ways in which

in which steel reinforcement can
be done
Reinforced hollow unit masonry
Reinforced grouted cavity masonry
Reinforced pocket type walls

Reinforced hollow unit masonry

The units are special shaped with vertical holes where vertical reinforcement
is placed and filled with infill concrete or grout.
Before laying the masonry units , the vertical reinforcement is placed in
position . Then the first course of units is laid in the mortar and horizontal
bars or bed joint reinforcement are placed in the grooves or in the mortar
joints.
The hole containing vertical bars are filled with either concrete or grout and
the grooves containing the horizontal steels are filled with either grout or
mortar as the construction of the wall progress.

A SINGLE LAYER OF MASONRY WALL IS CALLED A WYTHE

Cell Reinforcing vertical steel

Bars installed @ 2-0 oc, then
Cells filled with concrete.

Reinforced grouted cavity

masonry
This differs by technology of construction
It consists of two leaves (wythes) of masonry units, separated by a cavity into which the
vertical and horizontal reinforcement is placed and grouted with either concrete infill or grout
The grout can be pressured either as the work progresses or after the masonry units in the
whole storey have been laid.
In the first case, vertical reinforcing bars are placed first into position, then the horizontal
bars and wall ties are placed and grouted as laying of courses of masonry progresses.
In the second case , the mesh of vertical and horizontal is placed first in position . Then ,
masonry units are laid on each side of the mesh , connected together with wall ties. After the
masonry is build to full storey height, the cavity is filled with grout.
The two leaves of cavity wall are tied together with either wall ties or connectors which
should be designed to carry lateral loads , induced by earthquake.

Reinforced pocket type walls

Sometimes vertical reinforcement is placed in the pockets formed in the wall
by special bonding arrangement as in the case of reinforced hollow unit
masonry walls.
Vertical reinforcing bars are placed into position before laying of masonry
units
Depending on the units used horizontal bed joint reinforcement is placed in
the mortar joints at vertical spacing not exceeding 600 mm.
The pockets containing vertical bars are filled with either concrete or grout
as the construction of the wall progresses

Unreinforced masonry
An unreinforced masonry is a construction system where load bearing walls ,
non load bearing walls or other structures such as dam retaining walls fall.
These are made of brick, tiles or other masonry unit that is not braced by
reinforced bars or beams .
Such structures are vulnerable to collapse in earthquake.
Mortar is not stronger enough.

CAVITY WALLS

BOND IN
BRICKWO
RK

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF BONDING

The following are the principal forms of bonding :

English
Double Flemish
Single Flemish
Heading
Stretching
Rat trap bond
Garden Wall

RULES FOR GOOD BRICK BONDING

Uniform in size.
Bricks arranged uniformly throughout the wall.
Bats are used as little as possible.
The bricks in the interiors of wall laid as headers,
that is, across the wall.
The lap not more than 2 and one-fourth inches.
The vertical joints in every other course should
be vertically over one another.

ENGLISH BOND

The facing bricks are laid in alternate courses of

headers and stretchers.

Queen-closer inserted next to quoin-headers to
produce overlap.
English bond is the strongest.
a.

Avoids continuous vertical joints.

DISADVANTAGE:
Penetration of damp through transverse joints.

Appearance not as good as Flemish bond.

FLEMISH BOND

1. Double Flemish bond

2. Single Flemish bond
Double Flemish is shown
in the figure.
The headers and
stretchers alternate in each
course.
The lap is produced by
placing a queen-closer next
to the quoin-header in every
course.
Flemish bond is weaker
than English bond.

Fig.3

Single Flemish Bond: is a species of bond in which

Placement of double Flemish bond on the face of the walls.
The rest of the wall is built in English bond.
Used for walls requiring a good appearance and strength.
Not employed for wall less than 1 and a half bricks thick.
ADVANTAGES OF FLEMISH BOND:
It is highly economical.
Walls one brick in thickness are easier to produce a fair face
on both sides in Flemish than in English bond.
The appearance of Flemish bond is more appealing to eye
than that of English bond.

HEADING OR HEADER BOND

Heading or Header Bond is laid on headers.

Used for round quick sweeps, as in Fig. 4.
Should never be used in straight work, as it is very weak
Fig.4

STRETCHING OR STRETCHER BOND

Bricks are laid in stretchers, as in the figure below.

Used in walls of half-brick in thickness.
Due to its constant occurrence in the last position it is
also called Chimney Bond.

RAT TRAP BOND

It is made by placing the bricks on their sides having a

cavity of 4 (100 mm)

Alternate course of stretchers and headers.

becoming use ful in these days

THE ADVANTAGES OF RAT TRAP BOND:

It is highly economical because:

Can make a wall of one brick thickness with fewer bricks
than a solid bond.
Strength is equal to the standard brick wall, but
consumes 20% less bricks.
Cost saving on material is more as compared to the
traditional brick wall.
Maintains thermal comfort inside the building due to air
medium.
Bricks aligned on both sides, plastering not required.
It is quite strong as building constructed about 40 years
ago still does not show any signs of distress.