TYPES OF BONDS IN BRICK MASORY

TYPES OF BONDS IN BRICK MASONRY

Brick masonry is built with bricks bonded together with mortar. For temporary sheds mud mortar may be used but for all permanent buildings lime or cement mortars are used.

The various types of bonds generally used in brick masonry are

1.      Stretcher bond

2.      Header bond

3.      English bond and

4.      Flemish bond
5.   English garden wall
6.   English crosss bond
7.   Flamish garden wall
8.   Monk bond
9.   Stack bond
10. Sussex bond

1. STRETCHER BOND

A stretcher is the longer face of the brick as seen in the elevation. In the brick of size 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm, 190 mm × 90 mm face is the stretcher. In stretcher bond masonry all the bricks are arranged in stretcher courses as shown in Fig-1. However care should be taken to break vertical joints. This type of construction is useful for the construction half brick thick partition wall.

Fig-1 Stretcher Bond

2. HEADER BOND

A header is the shorter face of the brick as seen in the elevation. In a standard brick it is 90 mm × 90 mm face. In header bond brick masonry all the bricks are arranged in the header courses as shown in Fig-2. This type of bond is useful for the construction of one brick thick walls.

Fig-2 Header Bond

3. ENGLISH BOND

In this alternate courses consist of headers and stretchers. This is considered to be the strongest bond. Hence it is commonly used bond for the walls of all thicknesses. To break continuity of vertical joints a brick is cut lengthwise into two halves and used in the beginning and end of a wall after first header. This is called queen closer. (Refer Fig-3). Fig-3 shows typical one brick and one and half brick thick wall with English bond.

Fig-3 English Bond

4. FLEMISH BOND

In this type of bond each course comprises of alternate header and stretcher [Fig-4]. Alternate courses start with stretcher and header. To break the vertical joints queen closers are required, if a course starts with header. Every header is centrally supported on the stretcher below it.

Flemish bonds may be further classified as

§  Double Flemish Bond

§  Single Flemish Bond.

In case of double Flemish bond, both faces of the wall have Flemish look, i.e. each course consist of alternate header and stretcher, whereas single Flemish bond outer faces of walls have Flemish look whereas inner faces have look of English bond [Fig-4 (a), (b)].

Fig-4 Flemish Bond

Construction of Flemish bond needs greater skill. It gives more pleasing appearance. But it is not as strong as English bond. If only pointing is to be used for finished wall, Flemish bond may be used to get good aesthetic view. If plastering is going to be used, it is better to use English bond.

5.English garden wall

This is similar to the English bond but with one course of headers for every three courses of stretcher. The headers are centered on the headers in course below. This gives quick lateral spread of load and uses fewer facings than an English bond.

6.English cross bond

This alternates courses of stretchers and headers, with the alternating stretcher course being offset by half a brick. The stretchers are centered on the joins between the stretchers below them, so that the alternating stretcher courses are aligned. Staggering stretchers enables patterns to be picked out in different texture or coloured bricks.

7.Flemish garden wall

This variant of Flemish bond uses one header to three stretchers in each course. The header is centered over the stretcher in the middle of a group of three in the course below.

8.Monk bond

This variant of Flemish bond involves two stretchers between the headers in each course. The headers are centered over the join between the two stretchers in the course below.

9.Stack bond

This is the quickest and easiest bond as it doesn’t require bricks to be cut to different sizes. Bricks are laid directly on top of one another with joins aligned, running vertically down the entire wall. Bricks can either be stacked horizontally or vertically.

This bond is weak and often structurally unsound unless wire bed-joint reinforcement is placed in every horizontal course or, where loading is moderate, every alternate course. This is often used purely for decorative purposes rather than for load-bearing.

10.Sussex bond

                

This bond uses three stretchers and one header in each course.