When setting bricks as soldiers, a bricklayer should use a small boat level to check the verticality of individual bricks as they are laid (2, 7 and 8).Ĭare must also be taken with the alignment of the vertical surface of individual units so as to generate an overall flat plane of walling - 'hatching and grinning' describes the surface irregularity caused by the misalignment of face planes which is more noticeable when it occurs in stack bonding. Even when the bricks have been supplied as more consistent in size and form than is usual, constant checking of joint alignment will be required using string lines and a plumb level. The more rigorous geometry of stack bonds demands extra care and attention by the bricklayers, particularly if soldier courses are specified. No special considerations apply to stack bonded work, except that the joints should be accentuated rather than disguised by using flush joints of mortar that matches the colour of the bricks. The colour, texture and profile of the mortar joint, as with all brickwork, strongly influences the overall appearance of the surface and should be chosen with due care. These requirements for bricks of more carefully controlled variations of size and form may well attract a slightly higher cost. This aspect should also be discussed with the manufacturer, particularly when it is proposed to use bricks of long, thin proportions (7 and 8). The straightness of a brick is also a consideration in regularity and bricks which are liable to be bowed may not give a very satisfactory appearance when stack bonded as soldiers. There is no agreed industry standard for the maximum variation tolerable for such an application, but experience suggests that the difference in length between the longest and shortest bricks supplied should be no more than 3mm. For clay bricks the limits of size permitted in BS 3921: 'Specification for clay bricks' will not provide an adequate method of regulating supplies and an alternative specification should be agreed with the manufacturer. Therefore, check on the practicalities of obtaining supplies of appropriate consistency when considering a particular brick. This requirement imposes greater stricture on consistency of the size and shape of the bricks used than does normally bonded work. Bricks with a distinctive texture intended to be laid conventionally (flat), may not have a satisfactory appearance if laid on-end.įor good appearance of stack bonded brickwork the continuous horizontal and vertical mortar joints in the face of the work need to be straight and consistent in width. As the bond depends on regularised mortar joints for it to read well, plain coloured bricks are preferable to multi-coloured types, which can camouflage the bond pattern. The colour and texture of the proposed brick should be considered in relation to the form of stack bonding proposed. Other than requirements for protection against corrosion, no specification for the reinforcement itself or the frequency of its provision in the bed joints of stack bonded brickwork is included in the current British Standard Code of Practice for the Use of Masonry (BS 5628: Part 3), but BDA is aware that some specialist manufacturers of bed-joint reinforcement provide design advice for architects and structural engineers (Bekaert Building Products Ltd, 0114 2244488.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |