General Principles of Construction of Brick Masonry

Brickwork should be systematically done keeping in view the bonding, jointing and finishing. The laying of brick masonry is practically the same for all types of constructions. But some special considerations have to be given to each case. Mortar of 10 cm thickness is first spread.

Bricks soaked in water (so as to prevent absorption of moisture from the mortar) are placed over the mortar and pressed to ensure adequate adhesion. Both the longitudinal and cross joints are packed well with mortar. Proper bond is adopted and the brickwork is to be constructed in uniform layers. It is essential to check frequently the verticality of the walls and perpendicularity between the walls. The joints which are exposed are carefully finished by jointing or painting. At the end of a day’s work, the brickwork is raked back by stepping the brickwork. After construction, brickwork should be kept wet for two weeks. The following points should be observed while supervising the construction of brick masonry:

1. Bricks should conform to the specification and requirements of the work.
2. Bricks should be saturated well with water before use.
3. Bricks should be laid with frog upwards, with mortar completely covering the bed.
4. A suitable bond has to be used to avoid continuous vertical joints anywhere in the work.
5. A good quality mortar has to be used and the thickness of mortar should not be more than 10 mm.
6. The brickwork should be raised uniformly.
7. Brickbats should be minimised and to be used only in the required places.
8. In no case the height of masonry should be greater than 1 m in a day’s work.
9. All vertical faces should be checked with a plumb bob and wall junctions should be checked for perpendicularity.
10. After the construction is over, the brickwork should be watered well for two weeks.