BUILDING TECHNOLOGY - MASONRY - Fiber or hair is sometimes added to the mixture to give increased strength as when used for

sometimes added to the mixture to give increased strength as when used for the
first coat.

1. MORTARS AND PLASTERS - Plastering is done according to two basic methods: two-coat and three-coat. A three-coat job
A proportioned mixture of siliceous materials (sand, crushed stone) and cement (lime, Portland) consists of:
which, after being prepared in a plastic state with water, hardens into a stone like mass.
- a first binding coat called scratch coat;
- Mortar is cement mix used to glue masonry units to each other, or other surface - a second straightening coat called the brown-coat; and
finishing materials like tiles, bricks, stones to a receiving structure like a wall or floor. - a final coat called the finish coat.

- Plaster is mortar applied to wall surfaces as a preparation or a hard finish coat. In the two-coat work, the scratch and brown coats are combined into one.

1.1 CEMENT MORTAR 1.3 TYPES OF PLASTER AND THEIR USES

- is a proportioned mixture of cement, fine aggregate and water. a. Lime Plaster

- For first-class mortars 1 part of cement should be added to not more than 3 parts of Lime putty (hydrated lime and water), mixed on the job with sand and gypsum plaster, used for
sand. two and three-coat finish surfaces for interior walls and ceilings.

- Replacing 10 or 15 percent of the cement by volume with hydrated lime gives greater b. Gypsum Plaster
workability and increases the strength of the mortar.
Gypsum plaster. Plaster of Paris mixed with clay, lime and other materials in combinations
- For rubble stonework, 1 : 4 will be much stronger than lime mortar. covered by trademarks or patents. Mixed on the job with water, sand, lime putty, hair or fiber for
two or three-coat finish surfaces for interior walls and ceilings; or used dry as ingredient for hard
- For the top surface of floors and walks, use 1 : 1 to 1-1/2. or sand float finish with lime plaster (see above).

- Mortar made with fine sand requires a much larger quantity of cement to obtain a High-strength gypsum plaster. Same as gypsum plaster but mixed to meet established
given strength than mortar made with coarse sand. standards. Mixed on the job with water, sand, lime putty, hair or fiber for two and three-coat
finish surfaces for both exteriors and interiors.
- Mortar may be mixed by hand or mechanical mixers, the latter being preferred for
large quantities. Fibered gypsum plaster. Gypsum plaster premixed with fibers. Mixed on the job with water and
sand for scratch coat for three-coat plastering job
- When the mixing is done by hand, it should be done on platforms made watertight
to prevent the loss of cement. Prepared gypsum plaster. Gypsum plaster mixed with fine white sand. Used for two and three-
coat finish surfaces for interior walls and ceilings.
- The cement and sand should be mixed dry in small batches in the proportions
required on a clean platform. Bonding plaster. Gypsum plaster mixed with ingredients develop more adhesive strength in
combinations covered by trademarks or patents. Used for interior finish for smooth concrete
- Water is added and the whole remixed until it is homogeneous in color and leaves walls or ceilings. Mix and apply as per manufacturer’s directions.
the mixing hoe clean when drawn out.
Lightweight gypsum plaster, fire-resistant plaster. Gypsum plaster mixed on the job with water,
- Mortar should never be retempered after it has begun to set perlite, vermiculite or other suitable mineral aggregate. Lightweight gypsum plaster is used when
weight is important, and for fire-proofing other materials such as steel. Applied on lath. For interior
1.2 PLASTER use, only.

- Is a mortar of cementitious material (lime, gypsum or cement), sand and water which is applied Keene’s cement. Plaster of Paris mixed with alum or borax or other materials and burned
in coats (layers) to masonry surfaces, lath or various types of plaster board to give a hard finish (calcined) at 932 F. Mixed on the job with water, lime putty and fine white sand as hard finish
surface to interior or exterior walls and ceilings. for two and three-coat gypsum plaster. For interior use only

- The word “plaster” refers to gypsum plaster and the words gypsum and plaster are often used Plaster of Paris. For ornamental plaster work and castings.
interchangeably.
Molding plaster. For ornamental plaster work and castings. Mix with water as per manufacturer’s
directions.
Acoustics plaster. For acoustic treatment of interior walls and ceilings. Applied on gypsum plaster d. Bond – That connection between bricks, stones or other masonry units formed by lapping
base coats. Mix with water as per manufacturer’s directions. them one upon another carrying up the work, so as to form an inseparable mass of building, by
preventing the vertical joints falling over each other (also called a breaking joint).
c. Portland Cement Plaster
e. Stretcher – A brick or block masonry laid lengthwise of a wall
Mixed with water, sand and lime putty. Used for two and three-coat finish surfaces for exterior
and interior walls and ceilings

Thickness of plaster coats depends on the type of material to which the plaster is applied.
Generally, the total thickness is 5/8” on metal lath and ½” on lathing board and gypsum block.

In three-coat plastering work, the scratch and brown coats are ¼” thick at minimum; the finish
coat is 1/8” with a minimum of 1/16” at any point.
f. Header – A brick or block masonry extending over the thickness of the wall
For two-coat work, the base coat is ½” and the finish coat is the same as three-coat work.

d. “Sgraffito”

is highly decorative type of plaster work developed in Italy during the Renaissance. This type of
technique consists of applying two or three thin coats of plaster different colors and then cutting
away certain areas of one or two coats to produce a three-dimensional colored design.

g. Heading course – A course in which the bricks or other masonry units are all headers.
2. UNIT MASONRY
h. Soldier – A unit laid on its end with its face perpendicular to the face of the wall.
2.1 DEFINITION

Masonry - is a built-up construction or combination of building materials as clay, concrete, or

Masonry Terms:

a. Bed – The horizontal surfaces on which the stones or bricks of walls lie in the courses.
i. Quoins – The corner stones at the angles of buildings, usually rusticated so as to project from
the normal surface of the wall.
b. Course – A continuous layer of bricks, stones, or other masonry units
j. Bond Stones – Stones running through the thickness of the wall at right angles to its face, in
order to bind it together.

k. Blocking or Blocking Course – A course of stones placed on top of cornice crowning the walls

2.2 STONE

Stone, together with wood and clay, are the basic building material of man. The history of
c. Wythe or Tier – Each continuous, vertical section of the wall, one masonry unit thick. architecture until as late as 1900 was largely the history of stone in architecture,

Stone was the structural material, the exterior and interior finishing material, the flooring material
and in many cases the roofing material.

It was also used for all types of sculpture, statuary, and decorative and ornamental applications.

Today, stone is largely used as a surface finishing material for both the exterior and interior of
buildings.
They are commonly classified as: 2.3 BRICKS

a. Rubble Stone. Stone delivered from the quarries rough and irregular shape. Are structural units of clay or shale formed while plastic and subsequently fired.

The manufacture of brick consists essentially of screening, grinding, or working the clay to the
desired consistency for moulding, whether by hand or machine.

After moulding, the bricks are dried and then burned in kilns for many hours at high
temperatures, approximately 2000 F.

These processes purify the raw products, make it uniform and homogeneous, burn out all
combustible matter, and result in a product which is both stable and physically permanent.
b. Dimension Stone. Stone cut into specific size, squared to dimensions, and to a specific
thickness Standard size of brick is 3-3/4” x 2-1/4” x 8”.

The types of bricks most frequently used in architecture are:

a. Common or building brick. Used for all purposes, including facing.

b. Facing brick. Specially processed to give certain specific surface characteristics. Used for
exposed masonry surfaces.

c. Glazed brick. These have a smooth outer surface with a dull satin or high gloss finish. They are
load bearing, fire resisting, and impervious. They are usually formed with vertical hollow cores
through the body with scoring on the back.
STONEWORK: The types of stonework are based on the shape and the surface treatment of finish
of the stone: d. Fire (refractory) brick. These are ordinarily made from a mixture of flint clay and plastic clay,
and are used for the lining of furnaces, fireplaces, and chimneys.
a. Rubble work. Masonry of rough, undressed stones.
BRICK WORK. The usual methods of laying brick are as follows:
When only the roughest irregularities are knocked off, it is called scabbled rubble, and
a. Common Bond. Consists of five stretcher courses and then a header course. It is generally
when the stones in each course are rudely dressed to a nearly uniform height, range rubble. begun with a row of headers at the bottom course

b. Random work. Stones fitted together at random without any attempt to lay them in course

c. Ashlar. Squared stones in regular courses, in contradistinction to rubble work.

- Ranged work or coursed ashlar – Uniform courses with stones uniform in size. b. English Bond. Consists of alternate courses of stretchers and headers.

- Broken range ashlar – Course laid with the horizontal joints uninterrupted but the width
of the courses and the length of the stones are varied to produce a wall with a less
regular pattern.

- Random course their rectangular shape and are laid on horizontal beds but no effort
is made to continue the horizontal beds through in an uninterrupted manner. Large c. Flemish Bond. Consists of alternate headers and stretchers in each course.
stones combine with small ones in a convenient and, if possible, an interesting manner.

- Rustic or Rock work - Courses of stone face which is jagged, so as to present a rough
surface.

Rustication occurs when heavier stones or areas of stone project from the normal face of the
surrounding wall or of the joint themselves. d. Herringbone. The bricks are laid diagonally to form a herring-bone pattern.
Mortar joints between brick courses are usually from 4.5mm (3/16”) to 12mm (½”). The different types of concrete hollow block include:

a. Stretchers b. Headers

c. Corner blocks d. Jamb blocks

2.4 CONCRETE HOLLOW BLOCK

Lightweight concrete hollow blocks are also manufactured with such aggregates as cinders,
expanded slag, expanded shale or clay. Expanded blast furnace slag rates the highest in fire
resistance, and due to its cellular structure, has high sound and thermal insulation quality.

These are manufactured by machine-mixing the ingredients, pouring the mix into molds, and
curing the block by air drying. A steam-and-pressure curing process is also used which can
produce concrete hollow block in a few hours. Concrete hollow blocks should be laid on a full bed of mortar with horizontal and vertical joints
10mm (3/8”) thick.
Standard CHB sizes are from thicknesses of 100mm (4”), 150mm (6”) and 200mm (8”) x height of
200mm (8”) x length of 400mm (16”). Reinforcement for 100mm (4”) and 150mm (6”) thick wall shall be 10mm vertical bars at 600mm
on centers and 10mm horizontal bars every third course.
CHB of 100mm (4”) thickness should be used only for interior partition walls where weather-
tightness is not required. Reinforcement for 200mm (8”) thick walls shall be 12mm vertical bars at 600mm on center and
12mm horizontal bars every third course.

All horizontal reinforcement shall be tied to the vertical reinforcement at their intersections.

Dowel bars should be placed into the piers, columns, slabs, leaving 20 bar diameters exposed
to splice with the reinforcement of the hollow blocks.

Block cells with reinforcement are filled with cement mortar.

Concrete hollow block walls should have a reinforced concrete lintel or beam block course
every twelfth course; and a concrete column stiffener at every 4.80 meters length.
2.5 “DURISOL” BLOCK

“DURISOL” block is lightweight block made from fiber and cement.

“DURISOL” block units are two-core, 100mm (4”) or 150mm ( 6”) x 87mm (7-1/2”) x 600mm (24”).

Reinforcement shall be 10mm vertical bars at 720mm (36”) on center and at every 4th course.
Every 4th course should be a beam block course. Cores shall be solidly filled with cement mortar.

2.6 PLASTER BLOCK

Also known as gypsum partition blocks, are usually made of gypsum, vegetable fibers as binders,
and reinforcement.

Used for lightweight, fire-resistant interior partitions and for furring and fireproofing columns.

Gypsum hollow blocks are manufactured in units of 75mm (3”), 100mm (4”) or 150mm (6”)
thicknesses, x 300mm (12”) height x 700mm (30”) length.

Gypsum solid block is manufactured only with a 50mm (2”) thickness.

2.7 STRUCTURAL CLAY TILE

Structural clay tile are hollow masonry units, open at two ends with interior webs or partitions
19mm (¾”) to 25mm (1”) dividing the block into longitudinal cells.

In its manufacture, the various shapes of clay tile are formed through special dies and then wire-
cut into the required lengths.

It may have a smooth or scored (grooved) surface. Structural clay tile is classified into:

a. Load-bearing wall tile. 300mm x 300mm x 300mm (12” x 12” x 12”)

b. Non-load bearing, fireproofing, partition, and furring tile. 100mm (4”) or 125mm (5”) x 200mm
x 300mm