BRICKWORK

DEFINITION AND IMPORTANT TERMS

Brickwork can be defined as a thing or part built of bricks. To be more

specific, it is also called as the technique or work of constructing with bricks and
mortar.

Header bricks Bricks are laid to expose their ends

Bricks are laid to expose their sides Stretcher bricks

The bricks which are laid in rows

Courses

The manner in which the bricks overlap as

they are laid Bond

FUNCTIONS

Brickwork masonry is produced to build up structures such as walls,

bridges and chimneys. Brickwork is also used to finish openings such as doors
or windows in buildings made of other materials. Where the bricks are to remain
fully visible, as opposed to being covered up by plaster or stucco, this is known
as face-work.

TYPES OF BOND

A brick laid with the longest side exposed is called a stretcher brick, as
opposed to a header, where only the smallest end of the brick is exposed to the
weather. The length of one stretcher is the same as two header bricks, side-by-
side, including the 10mm joint between.
The choices of brickwork to be used depend on the condition, function and
thickness of the walls required to be constructed. Most common bonds ever used
in the construction industry are :-
 Stretcher bond (also known as running bond) is
the most common bond in modern times, as it is
easy to lay, with little waste. It is entirely composed
of stretcher bricks, set in rows (or "courses") that
are offset by half a brick. A layer of exmet is insert
at every fourth course of the bricwork. Running
bond uses no header bricks, allowing for a thin wall
of one layer (half of a 'brick' unit). Two such walls
may be built close together with a gap between.
The two "skins" are usually tied together at regular
intervals using wall ties. For this reason this bond
is sometimes known as "cavity wall bond",
although it is possible to give the appearance of
other bonds in a half-brick cavity wall, either
through extensive brick-cutting or the use of
purpose-made half-bricks. In some climates the
cavity may be filled with cavity wall insulation.

American common bond is made by laying

the courses of headers where they are
separated by approximately five to seven
courses of stretchers. On occasion American
common bond can be found with nine courses
of stretchers between courses of headers.
The stretcher courses are most often an
uneven number.
 English bond is made up of alternating
courses of stretchers and headers. This
produces a solid wall that is a full brick in depth.
English bond is fairly easy to lay and is the
strongest bond for a one-brick-thick wall.

Flemish bond, also known as Dutch bond,

has historically always been considered the
most decorative bond, and for this reason was
used extensively for dwellings until the adoption
of the cavity wall. It is created by alternately
laying headers and stretchers in a single
course. The next course is laid so that a header
lies in the middle of the stretcher in the course
below. Again, this bond is one brick thick. It is
quite difficult to lay Flemish bond properly, since
for best effect all the perpendiculars (vertical
mortar joints) need to be vertically aligned. If
only one face of a Flemish bond wall is
exposed, one third of the bricks are not visible,
and hence may be of low visual quality. This is
a better ratio than for English bond, Flemish
bond's main rival for load-bearing walls.