Basics in Building Construction

Basics in Building Construction 4(2+2)

Lesson 08 : Masonry

Techinical Terms Used In Masonry

Following are some of the technical terms used in masonry work. These terms are frequently used in the description and procedures. It is essential to understand the meaning of these terms.

1. Course: A course is a horizontal layer of masonry unit. In stone masonry, the thickness of a course will be equal to the height of the stones plus thickness of one mortar joint. Similarly, in brick masonry, the thickness of course will be equal to the thickness of modular brick plus thickness of one mortar joint.
2. Header: A header is the shorter face of the brick. It is a full stone unit or brick which is so laid that its length is perpendicular to the face of the wall. Thus, the longest length of a header lies at right angles to face of the work. In the case of stone masonry header is sometimes known as through stone.
3. Stretcher: A stretcher is the longer face of the brick. A stretcher is a full stone unit or brick which is so laid that its length is along parallel to the face of the wall. Thus, the longest length of stretches lies parallel to the face of the work.
4. Header Course: A course of brick work showing only headers on the exposed face of the wall is known as header course or heading course. Thus a header course of bricks will show all the brick units measuring 10cmx10cm of the face of the wall.
5. Stretcher Course: A course of brick work showing only the stretchers on the exposed face of the wall is known as the stretcher course or stretching course.
6. Bed: This is the lower surface of a brick or stone in each course. This is the surface of stone or brick perpendicular to the line of pressure.
7. Natural Bed: Building stones are obtained from rocks which have distinct planes of divisions along which the stones can be easily split. This plane is known as natural bed. In stone masonry, the direction of natural bed should be perpendicular to the line of pressure.
8. Bond: Bond is a term in masonry, applied to the overlapping of bricks or stones in alternate courses, so that no continuous vertical joints are formed and the individual units are tied together




9. Quoins: The exterior angle or corner of a wall is known as quoin. The stones or bricks forming the quoins are known as stone quoins or quoins bricks. If the quoin is laid in such a manner that its width is parallel to the face of the wall, it is known as quoin header. If, the length of the quoin is laid parallel to the face of the wall, it is known as quoin stretchers. Quoin stones are selected sound and large and their beds are properly dressed.




10. Face: It is the surface of the wall exposed to the weather.
11. Back: The inner surface of the wall which is not exposed to weather.
12. Facing: The material used in the face of the wall is known as facing.
13. Hearting: The inner portion of the wall between the facing and backing is known as the hearting.
14. Side: It is the surface forming the boundary of bricks or stones in a direction transverse to the face and bed.
15. Joint: The junction of adjacent units of bricks or stones is known as a joint. Joint parallel to the bed of bricks or stones is known as bed joint. Bed joints are thus horizontal mortar joints upon which masonry courses are laid. Joints perpendicular to the face of the wall is known as cross joint or vertical joints. All joints are formed in cement mortar, lime mortar or mud mortar. A joint which is parallel to the face of the wall is known as wall joint.
16. Closer: It is a portion of a brick with the cut made longitudinally, and is used to close up bond at the end of the course. A closer helps in preventing the joints of successive courses to come in a vertical line.
17. Queen Closer: It is the portion of a brick obtained by cutting a brick length – wise intotwoportions. Thus, a queen closer is a brick which is half as wide as the full brick.













18. King Closer : It is the portion of a brick which is so cut that width of one of its end is half that of full brick, while the width at the other end is equal to the full width. It is thus obtained by cutting off the triangular piece between the centre of one end and the centre of the other (long) side.











19. Beveled Closer: It is the special form of king closer in which the whole length of the brick is beveled in such way that half width is maintained at one end and full width is obtained at the other end.













20. Mitred Closer: It is a brick whose one end is cut splayed or mitred for full width. The angle of splay may vary from 450 to 600. Thus, one longer face of the mitred closer is of full length of the brickwhile the other longer face is smaller in length.

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