Brick Masonry Construction Procedure, Specification, Quality checks
Brick work
In This Article we will learn: 
  • Brick masonry construction (Brickwork) procedure
  • Brickwork Specifications
  • Quality Assurance Checks and also care to be taken during & after construction
Material Checking Before Starting The Brick Work:-

·         Use silt free (less than 6%) medium gritty clean sand for mortar. In silt content test we have discussed how silt content affects the strength.
·         The approved grade of cement, less than 1-month-old should be used.
·         Ensure that all required construction tools, accessories, and materials are available at the work place.
Specification of brick masonry:-
·       For Brick work it should be  Ensure we are using good quality bricks
·         The bricks should not be soaked in water prior to use. However, a light moistening with water may be done to avoid absorption of water from the cement mortar.
·         Before commencing masonry work, the line out shall be carried out for the entire area using a steel tape. The dimensions shall be checked with GFC (Good For Construction) drawings.
·         The brick masonry shall be preferably laid in a composite mortar with mix ratio as mentioned in specification and drawing.
·         The mortar proportions shall be either 1:4 or 1:6. The mortar, when mixed, shall have a slump of 75mm.
·         The thickness of mortar joints shall be 10 mm both horizontally and vertically. The mortar shall be spread over the entire top surface of the brick.
·         The mortar shall be raked out from the joints with a trowel of each course and is laid to a depth of 10mm to 12 mm, so as to ensure the good bond for the plaster.
·         The height of the wall to be done in a day’s work shall be restricted to 1 metre.
·         The first course of masonry shall be laid with great care, making sure that it is properly aligned, leveled and plumbed.
·         The bricks for this course shall first be laid dry, (that is without mortar) along with a string tightly stretched between properly located cornerstones. When the bricks are set in proper position, the two cornerstones shall be removed, a full mortar bedspread and these bricks laid back in place truly level and plumb.
·         The string shall then be stretched tightly along the faces of the two corner blocks and the faces of the intermediate ones adjusted to coincide with the line.
·         Thereafter each brick shall be removed and re-laid over a bed of mortar. After every three or four blocks have been laid, their correct alignment, level, and verticality shall be carefully checked.
·         As each course is laid at the end/corner, it shall be checked for alignment and level or straight – edge to make certain that the faces of the brick are all in the same plane. This precaution is necessary to ensure truly straight and vertical walls.
Quality checking for Brick masonry work:-
·         Check if the erected wall is perfect – free from cracks.
·         Using the tape measure, ensure the diagonals are equal.
·         Check up if the corners are at right angles using the framing square.
·         Check of joint thickness and strength after 7 days (nail test)
Caring & Curing for Brick Masonry work:-
·         After 7 days of curing of mortar joints drive a nail into the joint to test the strength of joints at random. Also, look for color variation in the mortar joints to identify problem areas.
·         Waterproofing plaster in the case of retaining walls should be done for all external surfaces. Bitumen touch-on and Thermocol protection are done before back filling in layers and compacting (in substructure work)