Construction of brick walls. Technology for making brick walls. Minimum wall thickness

Brickwork walls - one of the most ancient methods of masonry. The first samples were discovered during excavations in the territory of modern Balochistan: in the village of Mehrgarh, buildings were made of stones similar to modern brick. After analysis, it turned out that the simplest technology Our distant ancestors used brick walls even during the Neolithic, because it was not for nothing that this era was called “new stone”.

Advantages and disadvantages of brick walls

Main advantage brick walls is that they have high strength. In addition, it is not susceptible to rotting and exposure to microorganisms. Brick walls allow the use of reinforced concrete floor slabs. This is necessary if you want to cover a large span between walls. The small size of the bricks makes it possible to build walls of complex configurations from them, lay decorative elements facade. With brickwork, the walls of the house have great thermal inertia - in summer they are cool in any heat, in winter they are warm.

Brick walls also have disadvantages: if the house has not been heated for a long time in winter, it will take several days to warm it up. If the building is used seasonally, after 25 years the walls will require serious repairs. Brick walls are very heavy and do not tolerate deformation, so they require strip foundation to the freezing depth. To ensure proper thermal insulation, brick walls must be thick (in the Moscow region - 51 cm). Consequently, in a house with a usable area of 50 m2 they will occupy 17 m2 - 1/3 of the area; for a house with an area of 200 m2 this ratio will be 1/6.

Technology and thickness of lightweight brick walls

Homogeneous walls are made of ordinary hollow or light building bricks.

In non-uniform, lightweight walls, part of the brickwork is replaced by the thickness of the wall with thermal insulation tiles and an air gap.

Walls are erected with a thickness of 1/2, 1.1 1/2, 2.2 1/2, 3 bricks or more, taking into account the thickness of the vertical joints equal to 10 mm. Accordingly, the thickness of the wall with brickwork is 120, 250, 380, 510, 640, 770 mm and more. The thickness of the horizontal joints is assumed to be 12 mm, then the height of 13 rows of masonry should be 1 m.

There are two types of brickwork on walls: two-row (chain) and six-row (spoon).

In a two-row masonry system, bonded rows alternate with spoon rows. Transverse seams in this system overlap by 1/4 of a brick, and longitudinal seams by 1/2 of a brick.

As can be seen in the photo, the six-row brickwork of the walls involves alternating five rows of trays with one row of studs:

Photo gallery

In each spoon row, the transverse vertical seams are tied in half a brick, while the longitudinal vertical seams formed by the spoons are tied in stitched rows through five spoon rows. Masonry using a six-row system is simpler than using a two-row system. To reduce the air permeability of the walls, the facing seams of the masonry are sealed with a special tool, giving the seams the shape of a roller, fillet or triangle. This method is called seaming.

In the conditions of an average climatic region, the brickwork of external walls is made with a thickness of 2 1/2 bricks. Hollow brick masonry allows you to reduce the thickness by 1/2 of the brick.

The disadvantage of ordinary solid brick, clay or silicate, is its high volumetric weight and, therefore, high thermal conductivity.

Walls 2 bricks thick, made of hollow bricks with 32 or 78 holes with a volumetric weight of 1800 kg/m3, have a total heat transfer resistance that meets the requirements of an average climatic region.

The side and top planes of the openings - lintels - have quarters, i.e. protrusions that close the gap between the masonry and the window frame from the outside.

Currently, the most common are prefabricated slab or bar reinforced concrete lintels. Jumpers according to bearing capacity divided into 2 groups. The first group includes load-bearing lintels that bear the load from their own weight, the masonry above them, interfloor ceilings and other elements of the building.

Prefabricated reinforced concrete non-load-bearing lintels are marked: for timber lintels - with the letter B, for slabs - with the letters Bp.

Bar lintels are produced in a width of 120 mm, a height of 65 mm and a length of 1.2; 1.6; 2.0 m, and height 140 mm with length 2.4; 2.6; 2.8; 3 m.

Non-load-bearing slab lintels are produced in heights of 220, 300 mm and widths of 120 and 250 mm with a length of 1.4 to 3.2 m.

Non-load-bearing lintels are laid into the walls on supports at least 125 mm, and load-bearing ones - 250 mm. When laying block lintels, one block at the outer surface of the wall is laid 75 mm lower than the others to form a quarter. The window block frame is adjacent to the latter.

Smoke and ventilation ducts are installed, as a rule, on brickwork of internal walls, since in the ducts located in external walls, draft is disrupted in winter due to the cooling of their walls. If it is impossible to do without installing channels in the outer walls, the wall is thickened so much that the distance from the inner surface of the channel to the outer surface of the wall is no less than the minimum thickness of the wall that meets the climatic conditions.

Smoke duct cross-section heating stoves and kitchen hearths take the size of 1/2 x 1 brick. Smoke ducts of small stoves, for example, bathroom columns, and ventilation ducts allow a cross-section of 1/2 x 1/2 brick.

The crowning cornice of a brick wall with a slight offset - up to 300 mm and no more than x/2 the thickness of the wall, can be laid out of brick by gradually releasing rows of masonry by 60-80 mm in each row. When the projection is more than 300 mm, the cornices are made of prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs embedded in the walls.

The inner ends of the reinforced concrete slabs are covered with prefabricated longitudinal reinforced concrete beams, which are attached to the masonry using steel anchors embedded in it, thereby ensuring the stability of the cornice.

Lightweight brick walls, in which the brick is partially freed from heat-insulating functions unusual for it by replacing part of the masonry with less heat-conducting materials, can significantly reduce brick consumption, thereby increasing material savings.

Lightweight brick walls are divided into 2 groups. The first group includes structures consisting of two thin longitudinal brick walls, between which thermal insulation material is laid, the second group includes structures consisting of one brick wall insulated with thermal insulation slabs.

Backfill walls consist of two walls 1/2 brick thick, the space between which is covered every 4 rows by two horizontal rows of solid masonry. These two rows divide the masonry vertically into shallow cavities, which are filled with slag as the wall is built. The backfill gives almost no precipitation.

When laying lightweight brick walls, they are given strength by continuous horizontal rows, but their thermal properties are impaired, creating areas with high thermal conductivity. Backfill walls are installed when the height of the house is no more than two floors.

Walls filled with lightweight concrete differ from walls filled with slag in that the space between the enclosing walls of 1/2 brick is filled with lightweight concrete. For walls with filling, every 3-5 tray rows, lay out one butted row of bricks embedded in the concrete.

In this case, the butt rows are placed in one row, in walls 510 mm thick and thicker, or in a checkerboard pattern, in walls 380 mm thick. The minimum thickness of such walls is 380 mm, the maximum is 650 mm.

In internal walls, the diaphragm is formed by overlapping interlocking rows on the mortar. The voids of the internal walls are filled with light or ordinary concrete, and also filled with broken bricks and filled with mortar, i.e. doing backfilling.

The advantage of brick-concrete walls compared to backfill walls is that the adhesion of concrete to masonry provides a more reliable connection between the brick walls and, in addition, the concrete absorbs part of the load transmitted to the wall. Brick and concrete walls erected during the construction of a house with a height of up to 6 floors.

When performing work in winter time the complexity of the work increases, since the drying of the masonry slows down the introduction into the wall with concrete mixture a lot of moisture.

Watch the video of brick wall laying to better understand the technology of the process:

Construction of brick walls with insulation and thermal liners

The structure of a brick wall with insulation from heat-insulating panels consists of a load-bearing part - masonry, the thickness of which is determined only from the conditions of the strength and stability of the wall, and a heat-insulating part - foam concrete, gypsum or gypsum slag panels.

In the plane of the interfloor floors, panels 4 are supported on the floor structures. The panels are attached to the brickwork with nails 7, they are driven into wooden plugs 6 embedded in the wall 5, coated with an antiseptic. The advantage of walls with panel insulation is that there is no need to do internal plaster.

Walls with thermal liners consist of two brick walls: 1/2 brick each, between which ready-made blocks of low thermal conductivity, called thermal liners, are laid. Every 3-5 rows between the enclosing walls a connection is made using steel flat wire staples or bonded rows of masonry. Thermal liners are made from effective thermal insulation materials - foam concrete, foam silicate and others.

The advantages of such walls compared to brick-concrete walls are the smaller amount of moisture introduced when filling voids in the wall, as well as the possibility of their construction in winter.

The walls of the well masonry are erected from two walls 1/2 brick thick, connected to each other by vertical brick walls - a rigidity diaphragm. The wells formed in the masonry are filled with insulation.

Transverse brick walls 1/2 brick thick are installed at a distance of 53 to 105 cm, i.e. equal to 2-4 bricks. Wells are filled with backfill, lightweight concrete or lightweight concrete liners. To prevent settlement of the backfill, which reduces the heat-protective qualities of the wall, horizontal diaphragms 15 mm thick are installed every 400-500 mm along the height of the wall from a mortar of the same composition as the masonry mortar. Walls of this type are erected with a thickness from 380 mm to 560 mm.

Structural details of brick walls and masonry openings

The main structural details of brick walls are the base, cornices, smoke and ventilation ducts.

The base of the brick walls is a solid brickwork with a height of at least 400-500 mm above ground level. The waterproofing layer is installed according to general rules.

Cornices are made from ordinary masonry or prefabricated. Lintels over window and wooden openings are made of precast reinforced concrete. Reinforced concrete slabs, distributing the load on two walls, are placed under the ends of the floor beams, resting on walls 1/2 brick thick.

Smoke and ventilation ducts are installed in the internal walls, which are made of solid brickwork. Concrete blocks are also used to construct channels.

To install door and window frames, openings are left in the masonry, which are covered with precast reinforced concrete, ordinary brick or wedge lintels. When installing ordinary lintels at the level of the top of the opening, formwork is installed from boards 40-50 mm thick, on which the mortar is spread in a layer of up to 2 cm and reinforcement is laid (stack steel, round 4-6 mm) at the rate of 1 rod per 1/2 brick wall thickness .

The ends of the reinforcement should extend 25 cm into the walls. When laying openings in brick walls, wedge lintels are also arranged on pre-laid formwork, laying the brick on edge from the edges to the middle of the lintel and sloping at the edges to form a spacer (wedge). It is allowed to install lintels made of tarred boards 5-6 cm thick, the ends of which should be buried 15-25 cm into the walls.

Which brick is better to choose for walls?

In this section of the article you will find out which brick for walls is better and what are the features of masonry from different types bricks

How are bricks classified according to their purpose?

Which brick to choose for the walls depends on the purpose of the material. Ordinary brick is used for internal rows of masonry or for external rows, but with subsequent plastering.

Ordinary brick may have a pressed geometric pattern on the side (for better adhesion to the plaster mortar.

The facing brick is of a uniform color, has two smooth, even facing surfaces “poke” and “spoon”. It is, as a rule, hollow, which makes a wall made of such brick warmer.

Facing bricks include textured bricks with a relief pattern on the front surface. And shaped, or figured, profile is intended for laying complex shapes: arches, pillars, etc.

What are the features of working with various types bricks?

Hollow bricks have less mass and, as a result, less load on the foundation. But during laying, the holes can become clogged with mortar, and it will become “colder”. To avoid this, you need to take bricks with voids of a smaller diameter and a more viscous mortar. Brick can be made even “warmer” due to internal porosity. Such a brick is called porous. To save time and money, it is better to buy not an ordinary brick, but a one-and-a-half brick. But you can choose the color according to your taste - this does not affect the quality of the brick.

How are porous bricks made?

To reduce the mass of bricks, as well as to increase their heat-shielding properties, sawdust is added to the raw material during the production process, which, when burned out during firing, creates micropores. The brick becomes “warmer” due to the internal porosity of the material. Compared to ordinary brick, porous brick has a lower density, due to which it has better thermal and sound insulation properties. In addition to bricks, porous stones (including large format -510x260x219mm) are also produced, intended for laying external walls.

What brand of brick is needed for walls

What brand of brick is needed for the walls and what does the brand of brick indicate?

If strength is the ability of a material to resist stress and deformation without breaking, then the grade is an indicator of strength. It is designated by the letter “M” with a numerical value. The numbers show how much load per 1 cm2 a brick can withstand.

For example, grade 100 (M100) means that the brick is guaranteed to withstand a load of 100 kg per 1 cm2. The brick can have a grade from 75 to 300.

The most common bricks on sale are M100, 125, 150, 175. For example, for the construction of multi-story buildings, bricks of at least M150 are used. But for a cottage of 2-3 floors, “one hundred square meters” (that is, M100) is enough.

What brick should be used to build a cottage?

It is useful for any developer to know that: for construction in the Moscow region, you need a brick with frost resistance of at least 35 cycles, and even better 50; semi-dry pressed brick with frost resistance of 15 cycles is not suitable for cladding walls and laying foundations.

You can distinguish it from a plastic molded brick by its “bed” (the largest side): it is smooth and has conical, non-through voids. This type of brick is best used only for internal partitions. If, after all, it was used for cladding, then it must be done immediately.

Plaster, of course, will not create a complete finish, but it will protect the brick walls for some time; for the construction of a two- or three-story house, M100-125 brick is needed; facing bricks should be purchased of the same brand as building bricks, because the entire wall must be of the same strength; a double brick is cheaper than a single brick; in addition, mortar and laying time are additionally saved; porous brick is “warmer” than a simple hollow brick; It is advisable to buy all the facing bricks at once, in one batch, so that all the cladding is uniform in color; the color of the clay is not related to the quality of the brick, so buy a brick of the color you like; for windows, arches, window sills, fences, etc. there is a special shaped brick; It is not recommended to build a foundation from sand-lime brick: it is not resistant to moisture. You can't make stoves or pipes out of it - it begins to decompose under the influence of high temperatures. And it’s difficult to plaster (it’s very smooth), so the solution doesn’t stick to it well.

Is it more profitable to purchase bricks directly from the manufacturer?

Of course, purchasing at brick factory, will cost less, although you will have to pay a lot for transport. In trading companies, bricks cost on average 15% more than at the factory, but this price also includes delivery to the site. In addition, companies practice discounts. On construction markets, where you can buy bricks individually, its price can be two times higher than at the factory. Please note that the higher the brand, the more expensive the brick. For example, M125 brick is about 10% more expensive than M100. The difference in price between “one hundredth” and “two hundredth” brands can be 20-30%. It is more profitable to buy ceramic stones or double bricks. The relationship here is approximately this: increasing the size of a brick by 50% increases its price by 20%.

How to identify a defective brick?

According to GOST, defective bricks are overburned and underburned, and such bricks are not recommended for sale. How do you know if a red brick is fired correctly? If the core of a brick is a more saturated color than the “body” and rings when struck, then it is a brick good quality. Unburned brick has a characteristic mustard color and makes a dull sound when struck. Unfired brick has low frost resistance and is afraid of moisture. A burnt brick turns black, melts, loses the clarity of its lines and size, and “bursts” from the inside. But experts say that if a brick has not broken its shape, and only its core turns out to be black, then it, on the contrary, becomes simply iron. It is used for masonry in damp places.

External walls made of sand-lime brick and their frost resistance

What is sand-lime brick and where is it used?

Sand-lime brick consists of a mixture of sand (about 90%), lime (about 10%) and various additives. It is used for laying stone and reinforced stone external and internal walls of buildings and structures, as well as for their cladding. Sand-lime bricks are not used for walls in conditions high humidity, since it absorbs moisture well, and also for masonry exposed to high temperatures, since this causes decomposition of its components.

Sand-lime brick has high strength and thermal conductivity (higher than ceramic brick). In terms of strength, silicate products are manufactured in the following grades: 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300. Just like ceramic bricks, silicate bricks are made with facing and ordinary bricks.

What does the concept of “frost resistance of brick” mean?

Frost resistance is the ability of a material to withstand alternate freezing and thawing when wet. Frost resistance of bricks for external walls (designation “Mrz”) is measured in cycles. During standard tests, a brick is immersed in water for 8 hours, then placed in water for 8 hours. freezer(this is one cycle). So, until the brick begins to lose mass and strength. Then the tests are stopped and a conclusion is made about the frost resistance of the brick. For Moscow construction projects, you need to use brick with frost resistance of at least 35 cycles, and better - 50.

Types of ligation of rows of bricks in masonry: single-row and multi-row

What is brick bonding in the masonry of building walls?

To give the brickwork strength and solidity, a certain order of laying bricks relative to each other is used, which is called dressing. There are different dressings for vertical, longitudinal and transverse sutures.

Bandaging of longitudinal seams is necessary to prevent vertical “delamination” of the wall and to more evenly distribute loads along the length of the wall.

Bandaging the transverse seams is performed to create a longitudinal connection between the bricks. In addition, the transverse ligation serves to distribute the load across the entire thickness of the brickwork. The most common types of brick ligation are single-row (chain) and multi-row.

Single-row brick bonding is characterized by alternating spoon and butt rows of brickwork. In this case, the transverse seams in adjacent rows are shifted by a quarter of a brick relative to each other, and the longitudinal seams by half a brick. The vertical seams of the underlying row are overlapped by the bricks of the upper row.

When multi-row dressing of brickwork, the bonded rows are placed in several spoon rows.

Is the specified order of tying rows of bricks always maintained during laying?

There are restrictions on the number of spoon rows between bond rows, depending on the thickness of the brick. For single brick masonry (65 mm) - one row of joints per six rows of brickwork. For masonry made of thickened brick (88 mm) - one row of joints per five rows of brickwork. In this case, the vertical seams in four rows of spoons are overlapped by the spoons of adjacent rows by half a brick, and the seams of the top row are overlapped by the pokes of the sixth row by a quarter of a brick. This kind of brickwork is called five-row. However, such a dressing is only feasible if the wall is at least as thick as a brick.

Methods of laying bricks “pressed” and “butt”

What is the method of laying bricks “in a clamp”?

There are several ways to lay bricks, the main ones being “pressed” and “butt”. They are determined by the degree of plasticity of the solution.

The “pressed” method is suitable for masonry using a rigid mortar (7-9 cm of cone slump) with complete filling and subsequent jointing. In this case, the mortar is spread at a distance of 10-15 mm from the front surface of the wall and then leveled with a trowel in the direction from the previously laid brick in order to prepare a mortar bed for several bricks. After that, using the edge of the trowel, part of the mortar is raked up to the previously laid brick and pressed against its vertical edge. The next brick is lowered onto the bed and pressed against the trowel blade. After this, the trowel is sharply removed, and the mortar is fixed between the vertical edges of the bricks. Next, the brick is settled on the bed, and the excess mortar is trimmed with a trowel. The result is durable brickwork with full filling of joints.

What does the “end-to-end” brick laying method look like?

The “end-to-end” method is used when laying on a movable mortar (12-13 cm of cone slump) with incomplete filling of the seams on the front side of the wall, i.e., empty seam. In this case, the solution is raked from the bed directly onto the edge of the brick, starting at a distance of 8-12 cm from the previously laid brick. The brick is pressed against the bed, and part of the mortar removed from it fills the vertical joint. Next, the brick settles on the bed. In this case, the mortar is spread with a distance of 20-30 mm from the front part of the wall and is not squeezed out during laying. The most labor-intensive is laying “in the clamp”, the least - “butt”.

Features of brick wall masonry technology

When can I start laying a brick wall?

First, lay out the bricks along the pre-marked perimeter of the masonry, approximately observing the dimensions of the seam, which can be from 8 to 12 mm. Laying begins from one of the corners. The first 3-4 bricks are laid on it at an angle of 90°.

At the opposite corner in the direction of the masonry, 2-3 lighthouse bricks are placed. In the gaps between the bricks of the initial corner of the masonry and the beacon bricks, nails are inserted, on which a cord is pulled at a distance of 2-3 mm from the outer edge.

If the building has interior walls, then bricks are laid in appropriate places along the foundation, serving as the basis for the adjoining walls. It is very important to lay the first row of masonry correctly and evenly.

What are the technology features when laying brick walls in the second and subsequent rows?

Masonry technology has several options. Some craftsmen lay out a row of 2-4 bricks high along the first side, then lay out the next corner, transfer the beacon bricks to the next corner and thus sequentially go through all sides of the masonry. Other craftsmen first of all strive to lay the first row of bricks along the entire perimeter, carefully check the rectangularity of the masonry in plan and only after that “go” to the height.

How to achieve strength and stability of a thin brick wall?

If the brickwork is made in half or a quarter brick, it must be reinforced metal mesh or reinforcing wire. Place in seams in 4-6 rows.

Necessary construction tools for bricklaying

What necessary construction tool does a bricklayer use for laying bricks?

The main tools for bricklaying are a trowel (trowel), a hammer-pick and a jointing trowel (a steel spatula with a wooden handle).

It is used to level the mortar, fill vertical joints of brickwork with it and trim excess mortar. If there is a need to cut a whole brick into pieces, use a hammer-pick.

To control the quality of brickwork, a plumb line, a rule, a level, a cord-mooring line and an order are used. The plumb line is used to check the verticality of the brickwork. The level is used to control the horizontalness of the masonry surface.

Using a rule (a smooth wooden strip 1.2-2 meters long) the front surface of the brickwork is controlled.

Mooring cord is a twisted cord (3 mm in diameter) that is pulled between rows. It is used to ensure straightness and levelness of brick courses and to control the thickness of horizontal joints.

The order is two wooden or metal slats, on which serifs are applied at intervals of 77 mm (for a single brick). This distance is the sum of the thickness of the brick (65 mm) and the thickness of the seam (12 mm). An order is used to mark the rows of brickwork, and if there are openings, to determine their dimensions on the brickwork, the order is secured with special steel bracket holders with a transverse bar.

What quality of mortar is needed for brickwork?

What mortar is needed for brickwork to ensure the strength of the building?

To fasten the bricks together, a mortar for brickwork is used, prepared from a mixture of cement and sand (the sand must be carefully sifted). The greater the proportion of cement in the solution, the less plastic it is (slowly mobile).

How to determine the quality of the masonry mortar and its required viscosity?

Mobility mortar for brickwork is determined by immersing a special reference cone into it (at 7-14 cm of cone draft). When laying hollow bricks, a mortar with a mobility of no more than 7-8 cm of cone slump is used. When laying solid bricks in hot weather, the mobility of the mortar should be increased to 12-14 cm of cone slump. In order to preserve all the qualities of the mortar before laying bricks, it must be thoroughly mixed, since over time, heavy particles settle, the mortar stratifies and becomes heterogeneous.

How is the mortar laid when laying bricks?

For high-quality brickwork, it is necessary to pay special attention for uniform distribution of the solution on the bed. The strength of the seam depends on the correct spreading. When making a spoon row, the solution is spread in a layer (bed) 80-100 mm wide, for a bonded row 200-220 mm. The thickness of the bed should be 15-20 mm, which ensures a seam thickness of 10-12 mm. Before laying, bricks are soaked in water for some time, since dry brick takes water from the mortar, which leads to a decrease in the strength of the brickwork.

Pustoshovka and jointing of brickwork, combating efflorescence

Why is seam unstitching done?

After laying a certain number of rows, but before the solution dries, the joints are opened. This is necessary to give the surface of the brickwork a clear pattern and compact the mortar in the joints of the brickwork. For such operations, jointing of brickwork with a working part of various configurations is used. In this case, rectangular recessed, convex, concave, triangular double-cut and other shapes of brickwork joints are obtained

What is a “wasteland”?

If the walls will be plastered in the future, then the masonry should be hollowed out, that is, without filling the seams at the surface of the wall to be plastered with mortar. Pustoshovka in brickwork provides stronger adhesion of the plaster to the wall surface.

What are efflorescences?

Many people have probably seen whitish stains on the brick walls of buildings. These are traces of calcium, magnesium, etc. salts originally contained in the clay. This is efflorescence on brickwork, and the intensity of their manifestations depends on the amount of salts contained in the bricks.

How to protect yourself from efflorescence?

There are many ways to combat efflorescence on brickwork, some of them are listed below:

use a thick solution;
do not spread the mortar on the façade of the brick;
do not lay bricks during rain and cover fresh masonry at night;
bring the house under the roof as quickly as possible;
cover the façade with a protective compound.

Brick has been around for many centuries. Houses were built from it in different countries and even parts of the world, having come up with many different ways and types of brickwork. And although there are many secrets and features in the technology itself, you can figure it all out. First, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic provisions and terminology, without which it will be impossible to understand what we are talking about. Then, choose a masonry technique and type of dressing, and then begin the practical development of skills. Do-it-yourself brickwork can be done at least as well as that of professionals. The only thing in which an amateur will definitely be inferior is speed. All other parameters, subject to technology, will certainly be no worse.

Basic terms

Let's start with general concepts. Everyone knows exactly what a brick looks like, and that it is ceramic and silicate, too. But not many people know how the edges of this material are correctly called. And in the description of masonry technology they appear very often.

The largest face is called " pastel", middle - side - " spoons", and the smallest - " poke«.

The dimensions of the brick are, in principle, standardized (250 * 125 * 66 mm - single and 250 * 125 * 88 mm - one and a half), but the technology of its production is such that they can differ significantly from different manufacturers: by 2-3 mm in each edges, and this is quite a significant difference, considering the number of pieces in one row. Therefore, before ordering a batch, it is advisable to measure samples from several firings in order to determine how accurately the technology is maintained.

It is also important to pay attention to the geometry: the edges must be positioned strictly at 90°. Otherwise, bursting loads will occur and the wall may crumble.

Types of masonry

Brick walls can serve different roles. In some cases it is only finishing, in some it is partitions, and sometimes it is load-bearing walls. Based on the purpose, as well as the required thermal conductivity of the walls, the type of brickwork is selected:

Half a brick. Most often this is how cladding is done. The thickness of such a wall is 125 mm. To save money, you can put the material on a spoon, then you will get a wall the size of a quarter of a brick. When installing these (in 1/2 or 1/4), a reinforcing mesh is laid in every 4-5 rows. It is necessary to increase the rigidity of the wall and create additional connections that increase the strength of the masonry.
Into the brick. These can already be partitions or two load-bearing walls of small buildings. Wall thickness - 250 mm.
One and a half, two and two and a half bricks are already load-bearing walls.

Dressing and names of rows

Although a brick wall is made up of many small elements, it should work as a monolith. To provide increased strength, seams that are weak point in this system, they are done with an offset. Experts call this technique “bandaging.” It seems to connect different elements into a single whole, allowing the load to be redistributed over large surfaces.

To ensure the necessary displacement of the seams, the bricks are placed in different ways:

if they are turned to the front side by the smallest part - a poke, such a row is called tychkovy;
if turned with the long side - a spoon - a row is called spoon.

Moreover, the first one in the masonry - on the foundation - is the bonded one, which is also used to finish the masonry. Moreover, it is mandatory to use solid bricks.

Single row dressing

Alternating such rows gives a very good result. This method of ligation is called single-row or chain ligation. It is practiced on walls that are not planned to be finished: it looks neat. Using this system, both external and load-bearing walls can be built.

Wall masonry schemes

Examples of a single-row brick wall of 1.5 and 2 bricks are shown in the photo below.

Single-row dressing in the wall from 1.5 and 2 kripich

In the case of laying a wall with two bricks, two more terms appear. The two outer rows of spoons are called versts - outer mile directed towards the street inner mile- into the room. For them they use smooth, good material, especially carefully selecting those that are directed outward. The space between them is called zabutka. Since this element is closed on all sides, you can use lower-grade material, for example, used.

Please note that this type of masonry also requires sawn bricks: half and three-quarter. The three-quarters in the diagram are crossed out crosswise, the halves are crossed out with one diagonal stripe. How to connect partitions to walls made using this technique is shown in the photo below.

Corner schemes

Laying the corner in this case is very important. According to the method, the corners are first driven out, a cord is pulled between them, and then the wall is laid according to the diagram. But the corners are placed first; how evenly and correctly they are set determines how level the entire building will be. The scheme for laying a corner of 1 brick with a single-row dressing is located as follows. The laying begins with the installation of two 3/4 pieces, followed by whole ones.

See the video for the sequence of actions. Very detailed explanation with step-by-step demonstration of the procedure.

The same system, but in a wall of 1.5 bricks. In addition to whole pieces, 3/4 pieces and quarters are required. The spoon row alternates between the inner and outer miles.

See the video to see how this scheme is put into practice.

When laying a corner of 2 bricks in the first row, the same two three-quarter pieces are required, as well as another 6 quarters or, as they say, checks. In the second, one 3/4 and two checks are already required.

Multi-row dressing

With multi-row dressing, several spoon rows - 6 (for a single brick) or 5 (for a one-and-a-half brick) - are interspersed with one bonded one. The first and last ones are also placed with pokes. This method is also suitable for laying external and internal walls. Only they are usually planned for insulation or finishing.

Wall masonry schemes

To prevent such a system from creating free-standing columns, the spoon rows inside are also tied up. To ensure displacement of the seams, crushed bricks are used.

Do-it-yourself brickwork: multi-row ligation scheme of 2 and 2.5 bricks

The joining of walls with this method also occurs with bandaging. This ensures increased strength of the junction of the walls. The diagrams are in the photo below.

Schemes for laying corners

And again about how to place corners, but with multi-row dressing. If the wall is one brick, the even and odd rows (except the first) are the same.

You will see all this in the video.

If the wall is 1.5 bricks long, in the first and second rows with bonded bricks, but located either in the outer or in the inner verst. The third and fourth rows are exclusively placed on spoons.

The fifth row is placed similarly to the third, the sixth - to the fourth. Then the system is repeated. At times, not a multi-row system (with 5 spoon poisons) is required, but a three-row system. Then from the fifth row the clacking is repeated.

Mortar for brickwork

The brick is laid on a cement-sand mortar. Cement is used not lower than M400, sand is clean, gully. The proportions for the specified brand are 1:4 (for M500 - 1:5). Mixing is done manually or using a concrete mixer, but the order does not change.

First, the sand is sifted, a binder is added to it, everything is mixed in a dry state until a uniform color is achieved. Then add water. Its quantity is 0.4-0.6 parts, but it is determined by the plasticity of the solution. It is more convenient to work with plastic mortar than with rigid mortar, but when laying hollow bricks, in this case the consumption of mortar greatly increases: it fills the voids. In this case, it is more practical to make a rigid solution.

To improve ductility and more convenient work, lime, clay or liquid is added to the composition detergent(hand soap is available, available in large flasks). The amount of additives is quite small - no more than 0.1 part, but the characteristics of the solution improve significantly: it is easier to install, it does not delaminate longer.

It’s worth warning right away: do not mix large volumes at once. The mixture must be used within two hours. And in the last half hour it can be difficult to work with it: water may begin to separate, or it may begin to set. It depends on weather conditions and quality of cement, from the thoroughness of mixing. If laying bricks with your own hands is your first experience in this area, it will be slow. Therefore, it is better to make small portions of the solution.

Approximate consumption of solution

Often, beginners who plan to lay bricks themselves have a question: at what temperature can they work. Without special additives you can work at positive temperatures. In the best case – not lower than +7°C. This is the threshold at which cement sets normally. At lower temperatures, the hardening process practically stops; as a result, the solution may crumble and the strength of the wall will be low. To lower the bar, there are special antifreeze additives, but the cost of such a solution is already high: the price of these additives is considerable.

Before use, the solution is stirred, since heavy particles can sink down and water can rise to the top. The mixed solution is placed in buckets and transported to the masonry site, where it is distributed. Immediately lay a strip of mortar - a bed - for one row. For a bond row the bed width is 200-220 mm, for a spoon row - 80-100 mm. If the seam is filled completely, about 10-15 mm are retreated from the edge, the height of the mortar is 20-25 mm, which, when laying, provides a seam of 10-12 mm. Before installing the brick, the mortar is leveled with a trowel.

There are three techniques for bricklaying. On hard, low-plasticity mortar, the “squeeze” technique is used. In this case, the seams are completely filled. If the solution is plastic, use the “butt” technique.

Back-to-back bricklaying technique

As already mentioned, this method of laying bricks is used with plastic mortar. It should be mobile, easy to apply and move. This is achieved by adding additives. You can spread the solution over the entire surface of the wall at once: additives allow you to extend the time before setting begins.

The bed is laid with a thickness of about 20 mm, with a gap of about 15-20 mm left from the edge. This indentation allows you to avoid squeezing out the mortar onto the front surface, but at the same time the edges of the seams often remain unfilled. This significantly reduces the strength of the wall, therefore, in regions with seismic activity, laying milestone courses (external and internal) using this method is prohibited.

When laying a spoon row, take a brick, holding it with a slight slope. Approaching what has already been laid, at a distance of 8-10 cm they begin to rake up the solution with the edge (poke). When joining, it turns out that the seam is already partially filled. The brick is pressed down a little (settled), pressing it to the bed. The excess is removed with a trowel and sent either to a bucket or to the wall.

Technique for laying bricks “back to back”

With this technique, it often turns out that the vertical seams are only partially filled. That’s why this method is also called “wasteland”. They are filled in when laying the bed for the next row. If the technique is not yet well developed, it is better to fill the seams before laying the next row: voids reduce the strength and thermal insulation characteristics.

When laying a bonded row, everything is exactly the same, only the mortar is raked with a spoon edge. The backsplash is laid, like the bonded rows, and then pressed with the palm of your hand. It is necessary to ensure that all the stones are at the same level. This is done using a building level, and the verticality of the wall is checked with a plumb line every 3-4 rows.

"Press" technique

When working with hollow bricks, hard mortars are usually used. In this case, bricks are laid using the “squeeze” technique. In this case, you also have to work with a trowel.

The bed is laid at a distance of 10 mm from the edge, the thickness is still about 20 mm. Since such a composition does not stretch well, it is raked to the edge of the laid brick with the edge of the tool. With your left hand, take the brick and press it against the trowel, while simultaneously pulling it up. At the same time, they continue to press with bricks, achieving the required seam thickness (10-12 mm).

“Butt-to-end” technique

Excess mortar is picked up with a trowel. Having laid several fragments, take a level, checking the horizontality of the row, tapping the trowel handle to straighten the position. The solution that has been squeezed out is picked up. The result is a dense masonry, but the process takes longer: more movements are required.

Butt-together with trimming

The average method in terms of productivity is butt jointing with cutting of seams. With this method, the bed is laid out close to the edge (10 mm), as when laying pressed, and the laying technique is flush: the mortar was raked with brick, placed, pressed down, and the excess was removed. If the wall is not subsequently planned to be finished with anything, after several rows it is necessary to take a jointer - a special tool and give the seams the required shape (convex, concave, flat).

As you can see, this is a kind of symbiosis. To make it more convenient to work, the solution is also made with “intermediate” plasticity. If it is too liquid, it will flow down the wall, leaving streaks, so it needs to be kneaded a little more tightly than when laying end-to-end.

DIY brickwork: tools, order and features

Now that you have an idea of how to lay bricks with your own hands, you need to talk about the procedure as well as some technical nuances.

Let's start with the tool. You will need:

mason's trowels - apply and level the mortar onto the bricks;
concrete mixer or container for mixing mortar;
mortar shovel - for kneading and periodic mixing;
two or three buckets for the solution;
plumb line - check the verticality of walls and corners,
building level - to check the horizontality of the row of masonry;
cord-mooring - for beating rows;
jointing (for molding seams);
hammer-pick for breaking incomplete bricks (halves, 3/4 and checks - 1/4);
The rule is a metal or wooden flat strip to check the plane of the wall.

Next we will talk about the features of the technology. First: it is advisable to soak the brick before use. This is especially true in hot, dry weather. Then it will “pull” less moisture from the solution. If there is not enough moisture, the cement will not be able to gain the required strength, which will affect the strength of the building.

Second: the corners are driven out first. First the first two. They are connected with 2-3 rows of bricks according to the chosen masonry pattern. Then the third corner is kicked out. The second and third are also connected in several full rows. Afterwards the fourth corner is placed and the perimeter is closed. This is how walls should be built, going around them around the perimeter, and not pushing out walls one by one. This is one of the most common mistakes.

Third: there are two row control technologies. The first is that nails are inserted into the seams of the corners, to which strings are tied. It needs to be pulled so that it marks the top edge of the brick, and also limits the outer (and, if necessary, inner) surface of the wall.

The second way is to use wooden or metal orders. This is a flat strip or corner on which marks are applied every 77 mm - marks on wood or cuts on metal. They mark the required row thickness: brick height + seam. They are installed using flat mounting brackets that are inserted into the seam. If necessary, they are then simply removed and rearranged higher.

There is another way - a mason's corner. It has a slot on one side into which the mooring is inserted. “Sits” on the corner on the solution.

The disadvantage of this method is the same as just using a nail in the seam: the height of the row must be controlled “manually” when drawing out the corners. If you lack experience (and where can you get it if you are doing bricklaying with your own hands for the first time), this is difficult. Having (having done it yourself) everything is easier.

Fourth: preparation of incomplete bricks. As you have seen, when laying, they use halves, three-quarter bricks and checks - 1/4 parts. To ensure that the work does not slow down, it is necessary to prepare them before starting masonry. This is done using a hammer-pick. When preparing, high precision in size is required, otherwise the dressing will go wrong. To make it easier to control the length, marks of the appropriate length are made on the handle. By placing the pen on the brick, marks are made on both sides of the spoon. Then, placing a pickaxe blade on the mark, back side hit with a hammer, making notches. Having made notches on both spoons, they break the brick with a strong blow of the pick.

When erecting walls and pillars, the base for the brickwork is the edge of the foundation. When constructing partitions and some non-load-bearing structural elements masonry can be erected on the installed floor slab. The most difficult work is to prepare the base for the brickwork of the foundation: usually the base in this case is compacted soil and a sand and gravel cushion.

The base for the masonry must be level, this indicator is checked using a horizontal level, and on large areas - using a level (a special device for measuring height differences). In addition, the base must be cleaned and moistened. Humidification is necessary so that the base material does not absorb moisture from the masonry mortar. If the masonry begins on the edge of the foundation, covered with waterproofing material, the base does not need to be moistened.

On a prepared base using measuring instruments make precise markings of all corners and junctions of walls, marking of pillars in accordance with the project.

Setting orders

Setting orders is necessary to maintain the geometric correctness of the masonry. However, before installation, it is necessary to erect strips (beacons) at the corners of the building and at intervals of 4-5 m in straight sections, since the orders are fixed in the seams of the brickwork. The fines for the initial fixation of the orders are laid out, focusing on the measuring tools and the markings of the base.
The orders are installed strictly vertically (checking the position using a plumb line) in the corners of the masonry, at the intersection of walls and at intervals of no more than 4-5 m on flat sections of the wall. Instead of intermediate orders, which are necessary to ensure that the mooring cord does not sag at too great a distance, beacons can be installed - individual bricks protruding beyond the edge of the wall. The interval between intermediate orders or beacons can vary, the main condition is that the mooring cord stretched along these beacons does not sag.

The divisions in the order must correspond to the design marks of the masonry seams. The rules are established by two people. During the masonry process, the order must periodically be rearranged to a new height.

Having determined the desired position for the next order, workers secure it in the masonry seams using special brackets with screw clamp(clamps) or hooks. The fasteners are inserted into special holes. One order requires two fastenings. Staples are inserted into horizontal seams every 6-8 rows of masonry in height, strictly one above the other. When one or two rows of bricks are laid above the second (upper) bracket, the order is inserted into the holders and secured in the desired position.

After installing the fasteners, check the verticality of the order. It is convenient if the order or its fastenings are equipped with adjusting screws to adjust its position and better press it to the masonry. Otherwise, it is customary to use wooden wedges.

The order is set with the front side (the one on which the divisions are applied) facing the mason’s workplace (usually the inside of the wall).

If it is necessary to remove the order (for transfer to a new place or when completing work), carefully loosen the fastening of the bracket or hook and pull it out of the masonry seam.

Pulling moorings

The mooring cord is necessary to ensure that the rows and bricks are laid correctly in the row. The cord is pulled along the rows and beacons, secured to special brackets or on nails buried in the seam or secured to the row. As work progresses, the cord is rearranged along with the holders (if the holder is not permanently fixed in order). To “painlessly” remove the staple from the mortar joint, the order with the holder is carefully rocked from the wall and towards the wall, gradually pulling it out of the set mortar.

The cord is tightened only after checking the verticality of the established orders. The mooring is tensioned for each row of masonry. If the wall thickness exceeds 30 cm, the cord is pulled on both sides of the masonry (external and internal). The mooring is installed in such a way that there is a gap of 2 mm between the future masonry and the cord. In the absence of this gap (if the bricks are laid close to the pier), the surface of the masonry may turn out to be uneven due to accidental displacement of the pier by bricks.

Brick supply

Bricks are supplied to the wall (or other structure being erected) from the storage area of the workplace and laid out along the wall. At this stage, it is necessary to prepare partial bricks if they are needed in the masonry of this area.

When making partial stones from hollow bricks, only bricks without visible damage (cracks, gouges) should be taken. The sound when tapping a whole brick should be clear. The fault line is marked on all four faces of the hollow brick, cracks are punched with a mason's hammer, then split with a chisel or chisel inner part brick partitions, and only then - the corners.

Solid bricks are not as fragile, but caution is required here too. Fault lines are also marked on all four edges, each of them is lightly pounded, then the desired part is separated with a sharp, precise blow.

For the outer verst of facing masonry, only whole bricks (without chips), with even edges and corners, are used.

Preparing, spreading and leveling the mortar

The mortar for masonry is mixed immediately before work. If it was prepared a little earlier, before laying it on the wall, it is shoveled (mixed thoroughly with a mortar shovel in a box). The mortar is applied to the wall with a mortar shovel, then leveled with a trowel.

The mortar laid on the wall for further laying of bricks is called a bed. The bed has the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners or an oval. When laying a spoon row, the mortar is placed on the side edge of the shovel and spread to a width of 7-10 cm. For a bonded row, the width of the bed is 20-22 cm. The height of the mortar bed in both cases is taken equal to 1.5-3 cm (to ensure optimal thickness horizontal seam of 10 mm), and the length should not exceed 70-80 cm. An indent of 2 cm is made from the front surface of the masonry for applying the mortar.

If necessary, horizontal seams are reinforced every 4-6 rows, placing reinforcement in them in the form of rods or metal mesh. This method of reinforcement is used, for example, when constructing half- or quarter-brick walls, as well as when constructing high-strength permanent structures.

Bricklaying

Laying the walls of a building begins with external structures, namely, from the corners of external walls, the ends of walls, from door and window openings. Depending on the method of work, fines are erected at the corners, as well as at intervals of 4-5 m. Along these lighthouses, orders are established and moorings are pulled.

Masonry is carried out at an air temperature of at least 5 C°. The bricks are laid along the laid mortar bed from left to right. They are moistened before being placed in place.

First, when completing a row, they lay the versts, then the backfills. The work is carried out in stages: spread the solution under the outer mile; lay down; spread the solution under the inner mile; lay the inner mile; spread the solution under the backfill; lay the scrap. This sequence can be changed depending on the masonry dressing system and the method of organizing the work.

During breaks between works, the upper part of the masonry must be covered with plastic film to protect it from atmospheric moisture (even if the weather is rainless). The longer the break without proper shelter, the more moisture can penetrate into the masonry through the unprotected part, gradually leading to the destruction of the structure.

The brick laid on the bed is tapped (upset) with the handle of a trowel or the blunt side of a mason's hammer, installed exactly in place: in accordance with the tensioned mooring and the standard thickness of vertical and horizontal seams. The bricks are laid along the mooring cord so that the top edge of the brick is at the same level as the cord stretched for the current row.

During brick laying, excess mortar may appear on the surface of the masonry. It is removed with a trowel and laid on top of the brick or in unfilled vertical joints.

Checking the quality of masonry

Using control and measuring instruments, the quality of the completed section or a whole row of masonry is checked and, if necessary, adjustments are made.

During the masonry process, they periodically check the correctness of the seams, the quality of the seams and surfaces, the verticality and horizontality of the surfaces and corners of the masonry, and the correct installation of embedded parts.

Checking the corners is carried out with a square, the horizontal and verticality of the masonry and its elements - with a rule, level and plumb line. It is necessary to check the quality of the masonry every 50-60 cm of the wall height: in this case, an error, if detected, can be easily corrected further work. Bricks can only be moved if the mortar has not yet set, otherwise the quality of the masonry will be impaired. Therefore, despite periodic monitoring, the masonry process itself must take place with constant orientation to the rows, berths and plumbs.

Periodic checking of the horizontality of the rows is carried out using a rule (a long straight rod) and a level: the rule is placed on the surface of the row, and a building level is placed on it.

To check the thickness of horizontal joints, measure the height of 5-6 rows of masonry and calculate the average size of the joint in these rows (to do this, subtract the total height of the bricks in these rows from the resulting measurement and divide the difference by the number of horizontal joints in the measured section of the masonry). In the same way, the average thickness of vertical seams within one row is measured.

After the construction of each floor, the top rows of masonry are checked for horizontalness. If possible, it is better to do this using a level: the measurements will be more accurate than when using a building level.

Detected deviations in the masonry, if they do not exceed the permissible values, are eliminated at the floor level or (if possible) along the course of the masonry.

Joining seams

The seam in the brickwork must be processed, especially if the masonry is facing (not for subsequent finishing). Unstitched seams shorten the service life of the masonry. The seam must be sealed when the mortar in it has not yet hardened, otherwise the new mortar will need to adhere to the already dried one. If adhesion is poor, the grout from the jointing may fall off over time. Sealing with mortar and jointing is carried out by laying out the next 3-4 rows of masonry (subject to continuous work). That is, lay out 3-4 rows, process the seams in these rows and begin laying the next rows.

The seam is filled with mortar, the selected tool is placed in it (joint or improvised device) perpendicular to the plane of the masonry and carried out along the seam with some constant force.

The vertical seams are unstitched first, then the horizontal ones. As a rule, if the seam is made recessed relative to the front surface of the brick, this recess is no more than 2 mm. The remaining mortar is cleaned from the outer parts of the brick before the mortar hardens.

Brick like building material known for a very long time. Mention of it can be found in the Bible, in stories about the times after the Great Flood.

Construction brick houses is rooted deep in history; in any country there are many such buildings, which are decades old. There are long-lived houses built 150, or even 200 years ago. Brick always remains the most sought after and popular building material in the world.

Why did builders love this material so much? Here we can highlight several clear advantages.

Strength

In construction they use M100, M125, M150, M175. The digital index after the letter indicates strength and indicates that this type can withstand loads of 100, 125, 150, 175 kg/cm2. Brand M100 is suitable for building a house with a height of 3 floors.

Durability

The house that good thickness brick built from quality material and according to all the rules of house building, it can last for more than a century.

Environmental friendliness

The brick contains natural substances that do not contain harmful impurities - clay, sand, water. It also allows air to pass through, “breathes” and does not rot.

Versatility, aesthetics

And the installation technology brings to life the most daring architectural projects. Individual style brick house will give it originality and uniqueness.

Frost resistance

Extensive experience in using bricks in construction and testing them in different climatic zones confirm that this material has high frost resistance, which is designated F25, F35, F50.

The digital index indicates the amount of freezing and thawing of a brick in a water-saturated state, after which irreversible changes begin in it.

Fire safety

Brick is a fire-resistant material that meets all fire extinguishing standards and rules, and the thickness of the walls in a brick house will not allow fire to spread from room to room.

Soundproofing

Brick is a good insulating material, much better than wood and reinforced concrete panels. in a brick house it protects well from street noise.

Minimum wall thickness

One of the main characteristics of a brick house is the thickness of the walls. The size of a regular ceramic brick is 250x120x65 mm. Building codes and regulations accept a value that is a multiple of 12 (the length of half a brick) to determine the thickness of walls.

It turns out that the thickness of the wall is:

half a brick - 120 mm;
in one brick - 250 mm;
one and a half bricks - 380 mm (10 mm is added to the thickness of the seam between the bricks);
in two bricks - 510 mm (10 mm per seam);
two and a half bricks - 640 mm.

The same building codes the minimum thickness of a brick wall is clearly defined. It should be in the range from 1/20 to 1/25 of the floor height. A simple calculation shows that if it is 3 meters, then the walls should be at least 150 mm thick. A brick wall less than 150 mm thick is suitable for simple internal partitions.

External load-bearing brick walls

The strength and stability of the entire building is ensured by the external walls. They are called load-bearing because they distribute the entire load acting on the building. They bear the weight of floors, higher walls, roofing, operational load (furniture, things, people) and snow.

The starting point for any masonry is the corners of the building. A beacon is made on each of them (a corner is made of bricks, aligned vertically and with the axes of the building). Corner masonry rises 6-8 rows. It is recommended to reinforce the corners of external walls with a metal mesh made of wire with a diameter of 6 mm. Then, twine is stretched between the beacons at the level of the top brick along the edge of the wall, which marks the outer axis of the structure. Brickwork is carried out from one lighthouse to another, the thickness of the walls consists of an outer part, an inner part and a middle part, which is filled with insulation or filled with other material. The bricks are placed on the wall with a bandage; after three or five spoon rows, one bond row is required. There are many brick laying schemes. Depending on the chosen scheme, the order of placement of the spoon and butt rows may differ. The same applies to seams; they should not be located on top of each other. Using halves and quarters, the brick can be easily moved to the side relative to the bottom row. After laying several rows, the verticality of the wall is checked with a level to avoid various curvatures of the plane, which can spoil the aesthetic appearance of the building.

The thickness of the brick load-bearing wall is selected based on the characteristics of the environment and one’s own capabilities. But for any calculations, it should not be less than 380 mm (laying “one and a half bricks”). In the northern regions, the thickness is usually increased to 510 mm, or even up to 640 mm.

To reduce the load of the walls on the foundation and lighten the structure, the outer walls are laid from hollow bricks. It is unprofitable to make continuous masonry; it is expensive and reduces the thermal protection of the building.

Wall insulation

Often they use a technology in which masonry is carried out with the construction of wells. It consists of two walls, 140-270 mm apart from each other, with obligatory ligation of rows every 650-1200 mm. The wells between the masonry are filled with insulation with mandatory compaction. It could be lightweight concrete, slag, expanded clay, sawdust, etc. When using them, the thermal protection of the building increases by 10-15%.

The most effective insulation is polystyrene foam. Its use allows you to reduce the thickness of the walls to 290 mm (brick 120 mm + foam plastic 50 mm + brick 120 mm). And if you leave a well 100 mm wide (for two layers of foam plastic laid with overlapping seams), then such a wall in terms of thermal conductivity will be equivalent to solid masonry 640 mm thick. A brick wall, the thickness of which is 290 mm, must be additionally reinforced with mesh every 5 rows.

To make housing even more comfortable, additional insulation is installed outside or inside the building. Polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, mineral wool and other soft or hard materials. With them you can increase it up to 100%.

Internal load-bearing walls

Buildings with a length or width of more than five and a half meters are separated along the long side by internal load-bearing walls. They are used for end support of the ceilings or coverings of the structure.

The thickness of internal brick walls is made smaller than external ones, because insulation is not required here, but not less than 250 mm (brick laying). All load-bearing walls, both external and internal, are interconnected and, along with the foundation and roof, form a single structure - the skeleton of the building. All loads acting on the structure are evenly distributed over its area. The junctions of the external and internal walls are reinforced with meshes or separate reinforcement through 5 rows of masonry. The walls are at least 510 mm wide and they are also reinforced. If it is necessary to install pillars as load-bearing supports, then the cross-section of the structures must be at least 380x380 mm (one and a half brick masonry). They are also reinforced with 3-6 mm wire every 5 rows along the height of the masonry.

Partitions

These walls make a zonal division of the space of large rooms. Since the partitions are not load-bearing, and they are not subject to any load other than their own weight, here you can choose which brick wall thickness is most suitable for a given room.

Partitions 120 mm thick (half-brick masonry) are installed mainly between rooms and bathrooms. If you need to separate a small room such as a storage room, then it is possible to lay out a 65 mm thick wall (on-edge masonry). But such a partition must be reinforced with 3 mm wire every 2-3 rows of masonry in height, if its length is more than one and a half meters.

To lighten the weight and reduce the load on the floor, partitions are made of hollow or porous ceramic bricks.

Masonry mortar

If the external masonry of the wall is carried out “for jointing”, then how aesthetically pleasing the brick wall will look depends on the quality, composition and correct use of the mortar. The thickness of the seams must be the same everywhere, and they must be filled completely; voids are not allowed. The solution must be prepared before starting work and applied within two hours. For plasticity, clay, lime or marble pulp is added to it.

For horizontal seams, a thickness of 10 to 15 mm is used, for vertical seams - from 8 to 10 mm.

When constructing a brick building, you need to know that any deviation from the project can subsequently lead to unpredictable consequences. Stability and strength of brick load-bearing walls easy to reduce if:

reduce their thickness;
increase their height;
increase the area or number of openings;
reduce the width of the walls between the openings;
arrange additional niches or channels in the walls;
use heavier floors.

A brick wall whose thickness is less than the design thickness must be additionally reinforced.

All changes to the project must be made by specialists; this cannot be done independently.

Brick buildings have obvious advantages that put them one step above houses made of any other materials. Executed by original projects, they have their own style and charm. And also this good option for investing funds and transferring real estate to descendants by inheritance.

Brick is durable, durable material with high fire resistance. Brick is the most common building material with dimensions of 250x120x65 mm, excluding tolerances of 3-5 mm.

The bricks are laid with the long side (25 cm) along the facade (along the wall) and are called spoons, or the short side is laid across the wall and are called pokes. The spaces between bricks filled with mortar are called seams.

The normal thickness of a horizontal seam (between rows) is 2 mm, a vertical seam (between bricks) is 10 mm. The use of significantly thicker seams is extremely undesirable, because this reduces the heat-insulating qualities and strength of the wall and disrupts the modularity of dimensions.

In construction, solid bricks are used: ordinary or clay red, fired, with a volumetric weight of 1700-1900 kg/m3 and less expensive silicate or white bricks (volume weight - 1800-2000 kg/m3). For ease of use, the weight of one (solid) brick is from 3.2 to 4 kg. The thickness of homogeneous (solid) brick walls is always a multiple of half the brick and is built in 1/2; 1; 1 1/2; 2; 2 1/2 bricks, etc. Taking into account the thickness of the vertical joints of 10 mm, brick walls have a thickness of 120, 250, 380, 510, 640 mm and more.

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Types of bricks: 1 – ordinary solid brick; 2 – hollow brick; 3 - facing brick; 4 – silicate brick; 5 – fireproof brick (fireclay); 6 – clinker brick

In terms of its heat-protective qualities, brick is inferior to many materials, for example, at a design outside temperature of 30°C (central part of Russia), external walls made of solid brick of solid masonry should have a thickness of 640 mm (2 1/2 bricks), which is 2.5 -3 times more wooden ones.

The domestic industry produces mainly six types of bricks.

Ordinary solid brick, usually red, has frost resistance, porosity from 6-8% to 20%.

The porosity of a brick determines the strength of its adhesion to the masonry mortar, the thermal conductivity of the walls and the absorption of moisture when the weather changes.

Typically, ordinary brick has an unattractive, rough surface, as a result of which internal and external walls built from it must subsequently be plastered.

Hollow brick - for the construction of external walls with increased thermal insulation ability. Color: pale red, dark red, brown, yellow.

Hollow brick is used to reduce the thickness of walls. The presence of voids in brick reduces the need for raw materials, transport costs, facilitates firing, and increases frost resistance. In order to reduce brick consumption, reduce the weight of walls and the load on the foundation, external walls can sometimes be completely laid out from hollow bricks.

Hollow bricks are made with through and non-through round, slot-like, oval or square voids. Due to the fact that the diameter of the through voids does not exceed 16 mm and the width of the gap is 12 mm, during the masonry process the mortar slightly fills the voids, and the masonry has a reduced thermal conductivity. The brick can be plastic or semi-dry pressing: with plastic pressing, the brick is made with through voids, and with semi-dry pressing, with non-through voids (it is also called five-walled and is laid with voids down).

Facing bricks - for almost all types of exterior work. The color, depending on the raw material, ranges from light yellow to dark red. Withstands exposure to water and frost.

Some types facing bricks, used for exterior finishing stoves, fireplaces, have beautiful patterns printed on their outer surfaces, giving them an additional decorative effect.

With the use of facing bricks, the cost of the walls increases, but the difference is approximately equal to the cost of plastering the facade.

Facing bricks of light colors, yellow and cream, are made from light-burning clays, matching the color of already baked bricks in to a greater extent is influenced by the content of various compounds in the clay, primarily iron oxide.

A unique aesthetic effect is achieved by using profile facing bricks. In the old days, profile bricks were obtained by cutting ordinary bricks or in special forms.

Figured brick - mainly for exterior finishing. The color is red-brown, has high frost and moisture resistance.

Glazed brick - for cladding internal and external walls. Color - different range of colors.

Glazed brick refers to facing bricks and is mainly intended for original cladding. Glazed brick is obtained by adding various chemical solutions, which in the process of firing the raw material form a colored glassy layer. Moreover, the decorative layer has good adhesion to the main mass and has increased frost resistance.

In terms of its basic properties, glazed brick is similar to clinker ceramics, however, compared to other types of facing bricks, it is the most fragile, which significantly limits its scope of application. It is interesting to use it for various kinds of panels and mosaic paintings both on the facades of houses and indoors.

Ceramic clinker modular bricks are used for cladding external walls. Color: white, gray, light black, red, has low moisture absorption, heat-resistant, frost-resistant.

Features of ceramic clinker bricks include its frost resistance (withstands at least 50 heating-cooling cycles), heat resistance, and low level of moisture absorption (0.2%). This is achieved both by the choice of source materials and by a special firing technology (at a temperature of 1800°).

The brick has smooth end walls, like ceramic tiles, and a non-standard size - larger than that of an ordinary facing brick (in connection with this it is called “modular”). Therefore, due to the smaller number of bricks required in the wall being built, the laying time can be reduced.

To reduce brick consumption, reduce the weight of walls and the load on the foundation, external walls are laid out of hollow or solid bricks, but with the formation of voids, wells, the use of insulation, warm solutions, etc.

Examples constructive solutions external walls

Type of brick	Characteristics of the design of external walls	Wall thickness in mm	Calculated t 0 of outside air
Clay ordinary solid and silicate
			5 0 C
			10 0 C
			20 0 C
			30 0 C
	Masonry with an air gap		20 0 С(-30 0 С)
			30 0 С(-40 0 С)
			40 0 С(-50 0 С)
	Well masonry with interior plaster and mineral backfill with a volumetric mass of 1400 kg/m 3		10 0 С(-20 0 С)
			25 0 С(-35 0 С)
			35 0 С(-50 0 С)
	Solid masonry with internal insulation thermal insulation boards 10 cm thick		20 0 С(-30 0 С)
			30 0 С(-35 0 С)
			40 0 С(-50 0 С)
	Solid masonry with internal plaster and external hollow slab insulation 5 cm thick		20 0 С(-25 0 С)
			30 0 С(-40 0 С)
			40 0 С(-50 0 С)
Hollow clay	Solid masonry with internal plaster		10 0 C
			20 0 C
			35 0 C
			35 0 C
	Masonry with an air gap (5 cm) and external and internal plaster		15 0 C (-25 0 C)
			25 0 С(-35 0 С)
			40 0 С(-50 0 С)

Continuous masonry made from solid brick is the most irrational; masonry with the formation of closed air layers 5-7 cm wide is more economical. In this case, brick consumption is reduced by 15-20%, but external plaster is required. The air gaps are filled with mineral felt and foam. The use of warm masonry mortars based on aggregates made of slag, expanded clay, tuff, etc. is also effective.

The most common economical design external brick walls of well masonry, in which the wallp style=»text-align: center;»p style=»text-align: center;»span style=»color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;" in fact, they are laid out from two independent walls half a brick thick, connected to each other by p style=»text-align: center;»p style=»text-align: center;»vertical and horizontal brick bridges /pi with the formation of closed wells. The wells along the course of the masonry are filled with slag, expanded clay or lightweight concrete. This solution protects the insulation well from external influences, although it somewhat weakens the structural strength of the wall.

With continuous masonry, it is economical to install brick walls with external or internal insulation. In this case, the thickness of the brick wall can be minimal, based only on strength requirements, that is, be equal to 25 cm in all climatic regions, and thermal protection is provided by the thickness and quality of the insulation. When the insulating layer is located on the inside, it is protected from water vapor by a vapor barrier; when located on the outside, it is protected from atmospheric influences by a screen or plaster.

Brick walls have great thermal inertia: they warm up slowly and also cool down slowly. Moreover, this inertia is greater, the thicker the wall and the greater its mass. IN brick houses the indoor temperature has slight daily fluctuations, and this is an advantage of brick walls. At the same time, in houses of periodic residence (dachas, garden houses) this feature of brick walls is not always desirable in the cold season.

A large mass of cooled walls requires significant fuel consumption each time to warm them up, and sudden changes in indoor temperature lead to moisture condensation on the internal surfaces of brick walls. In such houses, it is better to sheathe the walls from the inside with boards.

Internal load-bearing walls are usually made of solid (clay or silicate) bricks. The minimum thickness of the internal load-bearing walls is 25 cm, the cross-section of the pillars is at least 38×38 cm, the piers are at least 25×51 cm. For heavy loads, the load-bearing pillars and piers are reinforced with a metal mesh made of wire with a diameter of 3-6 mm in three to five rows in height.

The partitions are laid out with a thickness of 12 cm (half a brick) and 6.5 cm (brick “on edge”). When the length of partitions laid out “on edge” is more than 1.5 m, they are also reinforced with wire every two or three rows in height.

It is best to clad facades with facing ceramic bricks. In appearance, texture and permissible deviations in size, it is of the highest quality.

Brick walls are usually laid on cement-sand, cement-lime or cement-clay mortars. Cement-sand mortar with any brand of cement turns out to be too strong and hard, so it is better if you add lime or clay dough to it. The mortar from such an additive will become plastic and workable, and cement consumption will decrease by 1.5-2 times.



Well masonry: a – fragment of masonry; b – serial layout when laying a right corner of the wall; c – corner of the wall of the well masonry; 1 – insulation; 2 – diaphragm made of interlocking bricks; 3 - jumpers

Lime paste used as an additive to cement-sand mortar, prepared from slaked lime. If there is quicklime in the form of separate pieces (boiling) or powder (fluff), it must be quenched with water in a creative pit lined with boards and kept in this state for at least two weeks. The longer the aging period, the better. The homogeneity of the composition and strength of the lime paste increases with prolonged exposure.

It is also advisable to prepare clay dough for masonry mortars in advance. Pieces of clay are soaked in water and kept in this form until completely soaked for three to five days. Then water is added, mixed, filtered, after settling, the excess water is drained and used. The shelf life of clay dough is unlimited.

The mortar for brickwork is prepared immediately before starting work and used within 1.5-2 hours.

The thickness of vertical seams is on average 10 mm. When using a solution with plasticizing additives (lime or clay), horizontal joints are also laid with a thickness of 10 mm, without additives - 12 mm. The maximum thickness of seams is 15 mm, the minimum is 8 mm.

The strength of the wall is ensured by bandaging the seams.

There are two suture dressing systems:

single-row chain;
multi-row.

Multi-row mixed dressing is also possible.

When knitting in a single row, the bonded rows also alternate. Two-, three-, and six-row masonry dressing systems are more common.

The strength of brickwork made with ligation of vertical seams in each row or after three to six rows is almost the same.

It increases significantly if, regardless of the masonry system, a reinforcing mesh with cells 6-12 cm wide made of wire with a diameter of 3-6 mm is laid in horizontal joints through three to five rows.

Masonry with three-row diaphragms and, of course, mixed masonry have become quite widely used in individual construction.

Facade cladding, as already mentioned, is done with ceramic brick (stone), but this can also be successfully done with thickened brick with voids and, finally, concrete stone.

Two-, three- and six-row masonry systems: a - two-row masonry system; 1 – splice row; 2 – spoon row; 3 – displacement of vertical seams; b - three-row masonry system; 1 – splice row; 2 – spoon rows; 3 – coincidence of three vertical seams; c - six-row masonry system; 1 – splice row; 2 – spoon rows; 3 – displacement of vertical joints by a quarter of a brick; 4 – the same, half a brick

Masonry made of ceramic stones (a), thickened brick with voids (b), concrete stones (c)

Lightweight masonry with horizontal diaphragms is of undoubted interest.

This type of masonry consists of two parallel walls 1/2 brick thick, connected every five rows of masonry by horizontal bonded rows. The latter are sometimes replaced with reinforcement bars 6 mm thick, which are laid every 50 cm of the wall length. The ends of the rods are bent at a straight angle. The total length of the rods should be such that they are at a depth of 8-10 cm in the masonry.

When erecting such walls, first lay out two walls to a height of five rows. Then the space between them is filled with dry aggregates or filled with “warm” concrete (adobe) in layers 15 cm thick and everything is thoroughly compacted. The last layer is leveled at the level of the masonry.

If the diaphragms are brick, then whole bricks are placed on the mortar from the bottom and top sides, ensuring their strong connection. In order to protect the rods used from rusting, in the backfill opposite the places where they are laid, a trowel is used to select furrows 3-4 cm deep and wide. A furrow of the same width and 5-6 cm long is selected near the walls.


Lightweight masonry with horizontal diaphragms: a – brick; b – from “warm concrete and reinforced steel	Brick-concrete anchor masonry: a – fragment of masonry; b – serial layout of bricks when laying a right angle; c – wall corner; 1 – outer mile; 2 – insulation (lightweight concrete); 3 – anchor pins; 4 – inner mile

Both of them are filled with mortar (preferably cement, composition 1:4 or 1:5) to such a height that the reinforcement being laid is recessed in it either by half its thickness or completely. After removing the first row, the rods are covered on top with a layer of mortar of the same thickness. Then they lay five more rows, fill in the aggregate or pour in the mortar, lay the rods, etc. As the laying proceeds, every two rows the voids are filled with “warm” concrete using lightweight aggregates. The released brick pokes are also firmly bound with concrete. This type of masonry reduces the cost of walls by 25-30% and reduces the need for bricks. Lightweight masonry is permissible when constructing houses no higher than two floors.

Anchor masonry consists of two parallel brick walls, in the space between which lightweight concrete is laid. The interlocking bricks protrude into the concrete into the masonry and are a kind of anchors that connect the concrete and brick into a single structure. Blind parts of the walls can be connected every 2-3 m with continuous vertical diaphragms 1/2 brick thick.

The consumption of materials per 1 m 2 of brick wall with solid and lightweight (well) masonry can be calculated using the tables provided.

Brick consumption per 1 m 3 of solid brick wall

Brick	Material	Unit of measurement	Wall thickness in bricks and cm
Brick	Material	Unit of measurement	1/212	125	1.538	25	2.564
Ordinary brick 250x120x65	Brick	pcs	420	400	395	394	392
Ordinary brick 250x120x65	Solution	m 3	0.189	0.221	0.234	0.24	0.245
Modulated brick 250x120x88	Brick	pcs	322	308	296	294	292
Modulated brick 250x120x88	Solution	m 3	0.160	0.20	0.216	0.222	0.227

Material consumption per 1 m 2 of lightweight (well) brick wall

Type of brick	Material	Unit of measurement	Type of filler
			without openings	cinder concrete		without openings	slag
			without openings			without openings
Ordinary brick 250x120x65		pcs				FROM
	Solution	m 3
	Cinder concrete	m 3	0.207	0.201	0.19
	Slag	m 3				0.129	0.125	0.12
Modulated brick 250x120x88	Clay or sand-lime brick	pcs
	Solution	m 3	0.055	0.057	0.059	0.034	0.035	0.036
	Cinder concrete	m 3	0.207	0.201	0.19
	Slag	m 3				0.129	0.125	0.12

The list of types of masonry should be supplemented with the most durable - English - dressing, in which spoon and bonded rows alternate through the row. That is, the bricks of two adjacent rows in height lie crosswise in relation to each other.

With Flemish ligation, spoon and butt bricks alternate in one row

Methods and sequence of masonry. The choice of masonry method depends on the plasticity of the mortar, the time of year and the requirements for the cleanliness of the face of the masonry.

There are three methods: pressing, butting and butting with cutting of the solution, and backfills - in a half-butting.

Using the pressing method, brick walls are laid on a rigid mortar (cone draft - 7-9 cm) with full filling and jointing. This method is used to lay both spoon and butt versts. In this case, the solution is spread with a distance of 10-15 mm from the face of the wall. Level the solution back side trowels, moving it away from the laid brick and arranging a mortar bed for three spoon or five interlocking bricks at the same time.

Masonry using the pressing method: a – spoon row; b – butt row

Masonry using the end-to-end method with cutting the mortar: a – spoon row; b – butt row

Masonry using the pressing method: a – spoon row; b – tychkovy row of the outer mile; 1-4 sequence of actions

The masonry is strong, with the joints completely filled with mortar, dense and clean. However, this method requires more movements than others and is therefore considered the most labor-intensive.

Using the back-to-back method, masonry is carried out using plastic mortars (cone draft - 12-13 cm) with incomplete filling of the joints with mortar along the face of the wall, i.e. empty space.

The solution is spread in a bed indented from the outside vertical surface walls by 20-30 mm, so that when laying the mortar is not squeezed onto the front surface of the masonry. When constructing masonry in seismic areas, laying bricks in verst rows using the end-to-end method is not allowed.

The butt joint method with mortar cutting is used when constructing walls with complete filling of horizontal and vertical joints and with jointing of joints. In this case, the mortar is spread in the same way as when laying pressed, i.e. with a distance of 10-15 mm from the face of the wall, and the brick is laid on the bed in the same way as when laying end-to-end. The excess mortar, squeezed out of the seam onto the face of the wall, is trimmed with a trowel, as if pressed when laying.

The mortar used for masonry is more rigid than for masonry without trimming, with a mobility of 10-12 cm. If the mortar is too plastic, the mason will not have time to cut it when squeezing it out of the masonry seams.

The backfill is laid out in a half-squat manner. To do this, first spread a solution between the inner and outer versts. Then they level it, after which the brick is laid in the backfill.

Laying the backfill using the half-butt method: a – with pokes; b – spoons; 1-2 – sequence of actions

The seams are unstitched before the mortar sets, since in this case the process is less labor-intensive and the quality of the seams is better. In this case, first wipe the surface of the masonry with a rag or brush to remove any splashed mortar, then unstitch the vertical seams (6-8 pokes or 3-4 spoons), and then the horizontal ones.

Sequence of masonry. Laying rows of bricks should begin from the outer mile. The laying of any structures and their elements (walls, pillars, edges, laps), as well as the laying of bricks under the supporting parts of the structures, regardless of the dressing system, begins and ends with a butt row. Masonry can be carried out in rows, steps and mixed ways. The sequence of masonry is shown in numbers in the figure.

The row method, on the one hand, is very simple, on the other hand, it is labor-intensive, since the laying of each subsequent row can only begin after laying versts and backfilling the previous one.

Types of seams. Depending on the method of laying and subsequent finishing, three types of seams are distinguished.

If the wall is to be plastered, then for better connection of the plaster layer, the seams on the side of the front surface of the wall to a depth of 10-15 mm are not filled with mortar; this type of masonry is called “empty space”. If the mortar in the seams reaches the front surface, then the masonry is done “undercut”. The excess mortar is squeezed out with a brick onto the face of the wall and trimmed with a trowel or smoothed out with a “joint”. Depending on the type of jointing, a distinction is made between concave and convex seams.

This method is used mainly when laying using a single-row dressing system. However, to make the work easier, the following order is recommended: after laying the interlocking bricks of the outer verst, lay the 2nd row of the outer verst, then the inner versts and backfill of the wall. By observing this sequence, you less often have to switch from external to internal miles than when laying first the entirety of one row, and then another.

The stepwise method consists of first laying out the stud verst of the 1st row and on it the outer stud versts from the 2nd to the 6th row. Then they put the inner butt verst of the row and about five rows of the inner verst and backfill. The maximum step height for this sequence is six rows. This method is recommended for multi-row dressing of masonry.

The masonry seam is characterized by the shape of its meniscus (the outer surface of the seam). When the meniscus is formed by indentation (jointing), the outer part of the seam is compacted, which increases its strength characteristics, thereby increasing the resistance of the seam to precipitation. Recommended seam thickness is 8 mm, maximum 10...12 mm. It must be remembered that as the thickness of the seam increases, the thermal conductivity of the masonry also increases (by approximately +1.5...2% for every 4 mm), which reduces the thermal characteristics of the facade.

To avoid the appearance of white deposits on the brickwork, in order to preserve appearance and to ensure the durability of the facade, it is necessary to follow the basic rules of masonry:

Use cement mortar without any additives based on cement grade PTs 400–500.

It is advisable to use cement made in summer.

Use sand and water that do not contain water-soluble salts (do not use river water).

Use a “hard” solution, avoiding excessive dilution with water (the mobility of the solution should not exceed 7 cm). When applying the solution, do not fill voids.

Do not add antifreeze additives to the solution.

Use only freshly prepared mortar for masonry.

Do not use recessed seams for the sake of aesthetics. The maximum seam depth is up to the depth of the chamfer (up to 3 mm in depth). We recommend making such seams using special joints.

The walls are laid using a mixed method with multi-row dressing. The first seven to ten rows of masonry are laid out in a row. With a masonry height of 0.6-0.8 m, starting from 8-10 rows, it is recommended to use a stepped masonry method, since it becomes difficult to continue masonry in a row, especially when the walls are two bricks thick or more.

In this case, when laying out the upper rows of external versts, you can rely on the lower steps of the masonry, which greatly facilitates the work.

Brick laying sequence: a – single-row ligation system; b – multi-row dressing system; c, d - multi-row mixed dressing system

Laying walls and corners. General rules masonry walls. Brickwork begins with fixing the corner and intermediate orders. They are installed along the perimeter of the walls and verified by plumb line and level or level so that the notches for each row in all orders are in the same horizontal plane. Orders are placed at corners, at intersections and junctions of walls, as well as on straight sections of walls at a distance of 10-15 m from each other. After fixing and verifying the orders, beacons (safety fines) are laid out on them, placing them at the corners and on the border of the site being built. Then mooring lines are moored to the formations.

When laying external versts, a mooring cord is installed for each row, pulling it at the level of the top of the laid row with an indentation of 3-4 mm from the vertical plane of the masonry. The mooring cord for lighthouses can also be strengthened with the help of a mooring bracket, the sharp end of which is inserted into the masonry seam, and the mooring is tied to the blunt, longer end, resting on the lighthouse brick. The free part of the cord is wound around the handle of the staple. By turning the staple to a new position, a line of tension for the mooring cord is obtained for the next row. To prevent the mooring cord from sagging between the beacons, a wooden lighthouse wedge is placed under the cord, the thickness of which is equal to the height of the row of masonry, and a brick is placed on top of it, with which the cord is pressed.

Installation of the mooring cord: a – mooring bracket; b – rearrangement of the bracket; c – prevention of cord sagging

Lighthouse wedges are laid every 4-5 m with a projection beyond the vertical plane of the wall by 3-4 mm. The mooring cord can also be strengthened by tying it to nails secured in the joints of the masonry. After the orders have been established, the beacons have been laid out and the mooring cords have been pulled, the masonry process at each workplace is carried out in the following sequence: lay out the bricks on the wall, spread the mortar under the outer mile and lay the outer mile. The further process of masonry construction depends on the accepted masonry order: row, stepped or mixed. During the laying process, the following general requirements and rules must be observed. Walls and piers should be made using a single suture dressing system - multi-row or single-row (chain).

For laying pillars, as well as narrow partitions (up to 1 m wide) inside buildings or hidden by finishing, a three-row seam dressing system should be used. The bonded rows in the masonry must be laid from whole bricks. Regardless of the adopted seam bandaging system, laying bonded rows is mandatory in the lower (first) and upper (last) rows of erected structures, at the level of the edges of walls and pillars, in protruding rows of masonry (cornices, belts, etc.).

When multi-row dressing of seams, laying bonded rows under the supporting parts of beams, purlins, floor slabs, balconies and other prefabricated structures is mandatory. With single-row (chain) ligation of seams, it is allowed to support prefabricated structures on spoon rows of masonry. The use of brick halves is allowed only in the laying of backfill rows and lightly loaded stone structures (sections of walls under windows, etc.). Horizontal and transverse vertical seams of brickwork walls, as well as all seams (horizontal, transverse and longitudinal vertical) in lintels, piers and pillars must be filled with mortar, with the exception of hollow masonry. When using three-quarter bricks and other incomplete bricks, it is necessary to lay them with the broken side inside the masonry, and the whole side outside.

When erecting straight walls using a single-row (chain) ligation, having an odd number of half-bricks in thickness, for example, one and a half, the first outer mile of the 1st row is laid with butt bricks, and the second with spoon bricks. When laying walls that have an even number of half-bricks in thickness, for example, two, the 1st row begins with laying dowels across the entire width, the walls in the 2nd row are laid with spoons, backfill - with dowels. When laying walls of greater thickness in verst rows, spoons are placed above the pokes in the 2nd row, and pokes are placed above the spoons.

Zabutka in all rows is performed with pokes. Vertical limitation (an even edge of the wall along a vertical plane) when laying with a single-row ligation system is obtained by laying three-quarter walls at the beginning. When building a half-brick wall, halves are placed at the beginning of the wall, one row at a time. To lay the vertical limit of the wall into one brick, two three-quarter blocks are placed in the longitudinal direction at the beginning of the stretcher row, and, as usual, a whole brick in the butt row. In the butt row, at the beginning of the wall, three-quarters are placed in the corners in the transverse direction; in the spoon row, three three-quarters are placed in the longitudinal direction of the wall.

Laying wall corners is the most important job, which requires sufficient experience. The first butt row of one of the walls forming a right angle begins from the outer surface of the second wall in three-quarters; The 1st row of the second wall is attached to the 1st row of the first wall. In the second row, the masonry proceeds in the reverse order, i.e., the masonry of the 2nd row of the second wall begins from the outer surface of the first wall in three-quarters. As a result, the spoon rows of one wall protrude onto the front surface of the other wall. A wall that extends to the front surface of another wall must end with three-quarters arranged longitudinally. The outer spoon rows are skipped, the outer butt rows are adjacent. With this brick layout scheme, the corners are laid out without quarters, but with a significantly larger number of three-quarters.

The junction of walls with a single-row dressing system is performed as follows. In the 1st row, the masonry of the adjacent wall is passed through the main wall to its front surface and finished with pokes and three-quarters, if three-quarters and fours are used to maintain the dressing, or the skipped masonry is finished with only three-quarters. In the second row, a row of adjacent wall joins the main wall spoons. The intersection of walls with a chain ligation system is performed alternately, passing rows of masonry of one wall through another.

With a multi-row dressing, the 1st row is laid out in the same way as with a single-row dressing, with pokes. If the thickness of the wall is a multiple of a whole brick, in the 2nd row the outer and inner versts are laid out with spoons, and the backfill with pokes. If the thickness of the wall is a multiple of an odd number of bricks, the 1st row is laid out with spoons on the facade, and with spoons inside the room: the 2nd row, on the contrary, with spoons on the facade, and with spoons inward. The subsequent 3rd to 6th rows are laid out only in spoons with ligation of the vertical transverse seams into half or a quarter of the brick. When laying lightly loaded walls in areas under windows when filling frame walls It is allowed to use halves and broken bricks in the backfill.

The vertical limitation of the wall is obtained by laying out the first two rows using three-quarters at the beginning of the 1st and 2nd rows. In the remaining rows of spoons, incomplete bricks at the restrictions are alternated with whole ones, the brick is laid out so that the spoons overlap each other by half a brick. Right angles are laid out using three-quarters and quarters. They begin laying the corner with two three-quarters, each of which is placed with a spoon in the outer mile of the corresponding mating wall. The gap formed between the three-quarter bricks and the interlocking bricks is filled with quarters. In the 2nd row, versts are done with spoons, and backfilling is done with pokes.

The next rows of spoons are laid with ligation of the vertical seams. When internal walls are connected to external ones, if they are not erected at the same time, they can be made in the form of a vertical multi-row or single-row fine. In these cases, three steel rods with a diameter of 8 mm are placed in the outer walls to strengthen the masonry, which are placed at least 2 m apart along the height of the masonry, as well as at the level of each floor. They must have a length of at least 1 m from the junction angle and end with an anchor. Often masonry outer wall made of ceramic bricks 65 mm thick or bricks (stones) 138 mm thick, and the masonry of internal walls is made of thickened bricks 88 mm thick. In this case, the junction of the internal walls with the external ones is tied every three rows of bricks with a thickness of 88 mm. Thin, half-brick or one-brick walls inside buildings are laid after the external main ones. To attach them to the main wall, a groove is made into which a thin wall is inserted.

There is another method of coupling, when the groove is not left, and reinforcement bars are placed in the seams of the main wall during the masonry process to connect with the adjacent walls.

Laying a wall corner in two bricks with a double-row dressing

Laying wall projections (pilasters). This masonry is carried out using a single-row or multi-row ligation system, if the pilaster width is four bricks or more, and if the pilaster width is up to 3 1/2 bricks - using a three-row ligation system, like masonry of pillars. At the same time, to connect the ledge with the main wall, depending on the size of the pilaster, partial or whole bricks are used, using the brick laying techniques recommended for tying the junctions (intersections) of walls.

Laying walls with niches. The laying of walls with niches (for example, for placing heating devices) is carried out using the same dressing systems as for solid sections. In this case, niches are constructed, interrupting the internal mile in appropriate places, and in the corners of the niches, partial and interlocking bricks are laid to connect them with the wall.

Laying walls with channels. When laying walls, you have to simultaneously install gas ducts, ventilation and other channels in them. They are placed, as a rule, in the internal walls of the building: in walls 38 cm thick - in one row, and in walls 64 cm thick - in two rows. The cross-section of the channels is usually 140×140 mm (1/4×1/4 brick), and the smoke channels large ovens and slabs - 270x140 mm (1x1/2 brick) or 270x270 mm (1x1 brick). Gas and ventilation ducts in walls made of brick, solid and hollow concrete stones are laid out from ceramic solid bricks with appropriate ligation of the channel masonry with the wall masonry. The thickness of the channel walls must be at least half a brick; the thickness of the partitions (cuts) between them is also at least a quarter of a brick. The channels are made vertical.

Channel bends are allowed at a distance of no more than 1 m and at an angle of at least 60° to the horizontal. The cross-section of the channel in the withdrawal section, measured perpendicular to the channel axis, must be the same as the cross-section of the vertical channel. The laying of inclined sections is made from bricks hewn at a certain angle, the remaining sections are made from whole bricks.

Channels in walls 2 bricks thick

Smoke and ventilation ducts are laid out on the same solutions as the internal walls of the building. In low-rise buildings, chimneys are laid out on a clay-sand mortar, the composition of which is determined depending on the fat content of the clay. In all places where wooden parts come close to smoke ducts (chimneys), make cuts from fireproof materials (brick, asbestos) and increase the thickness of the duct walls. The same cutting is done in places where the structures are close to ventilation ducts, passing next to the smoke ones. Cuttings between wooden structures buildings (floor beams) and smoke channel, i.e., the inner surface of the flue, must be at least 38 cm if the structures are not protected from fire, and at least 25 cm if they are protected.

Sections of brick walls with channels are laid out, having previously marked them on the wall according to a template - a board with cutouts corresponding to the location and size of the channels on the wall. The same template is used to periodically check the correct placement of channels. When erecting walls, inventory buoys are inserted into the channels in the form of hollow boxes made of boards or other material. The cross-section of the buoy is equal to the dimensions of the channel, and its height is 8-10 rows of masonry.

The use of buoys ensures the correct shape of the channels and protects them from clogging, while the seams are better filled. When erecting walls, the buoys are rearranged every 6-7 rows of masonry. The seams of the canals must be well filled with mortar. As the masonry is erected, the seam is rubbed down using a mop. This is done when rearranging the buoys. Wetting the surfaces of the channels with water, rub the sagging of the solution with a mop and smooth out the seams. As a result, there are fewer rough spots on the masonry surface where soot can settle. After finishing the laying, the channels are checked by passing a ball with a diameter of 80-100 mm, tied on a cord, through them. The location of the channel blockage is determined by the length of the cord with the ball lowered into it.

Laying walls when filling frames. Such walls are laid using the same dressing systems and labor techniques as for masonry ordinary walls. The masonry is attached to the frame in accordance with the project. Typically, this is done by placing reinforcement bars in the joints of the masonry and attaching them to the embedded parts of the frame.

Laying columns under the logs. When installing plank floors on the first floors, an underground is made between the ground and the floor, protecting the floor from ground dampness. The floor boards are laid on joists laid on brick columns with a cross-section of one brick. Application of sand-lime brick and artificial stones, the strength of which decreases when moistened, is not allowed. The posts are installed on dense soil or on concrete base. They cannot be placed on bulk soil, since due to possible settlement of at least one or two columns, the floor will sag and be unsteady. Columns erected on the ground must be 2 rows of masonry above the ground level in the underground.

Before the masonry begins, the places for installing the columns are marked, and the outer rows of the posts along which the logs will be laid along the walls are installed close to them, and the outermost posts of each row are indented by half a brick. It is better to lay the posts with a single-row dressing by two people. One person prepares the place, lays out the bricks and supplies the mortar, the other carries out the laying. The top of the columns should be located at the same level, corresponding to the given mark. The masonry is checked with a two-meter lath and level, which are applied to the posts in all directions.

Laying pillars and piers. A multi-row ligation system when laying pillars is prohibited because it does not ensure the solidity and required strength of the pillars. A single-row ligation system with a shift of alternating rows by a quarter of a brick, which is achieved by laying three-quarter bricks to bandage vertical seams in all rows, is unprofitable for laying pillars, since with this method of laying it is necessary to use a large number of three-quarter bricks. This type of masonry is made from a whole brick with the addition of only a certain number of halves. With this masonry system, the external vertical joints in three rows of masonry may coincide in height. The splice row is placed through 3 spoon rows. For such masonry, the least amount of incomplete brick is required.

For example, when laying pillars with a section of 2 × 2 bricks, the dressing is done only with whole bricks, and when laying pillars with a section of 1 1/4 or 2 x 2 1/4 bricks, only two halves are laid in every 4 rows of masonry. Partitions up to 1 m wide are laid out using a three-row ligation system, and more than four bricks wide can be laid out using a multi-row system. In a three-row dressing, to form quarters in the walls, quarters are placed in the first butt row, and halves are placed in the spoon rows. Due to the fact that pillars and piers are usually loaded more than other structures, laying them empty is not allowed. Only incomplete filling of vertical joints to a depth of 10 mm from the front surface is allowed. Pillars and piers with a width of 2 1/4 bricks or less are laid only from selected whole bricks. If thin walls are adjacent to the pillars, they are connected by a groove released from the pillar or by steel rods placed in the pillars.

Laying walls of lightweight structures. When constructing external walls, in order to save bricks and reduce the weight of the building, along with masonry made of lightweight hollow and hollow, effective bricks, ceramic and lightweight concrete hollow stones, foam silicate stones, lightweight masonry is used, in which some of the stones are replaced with lightweight concrete, backfill or air layers. Masonry is also used in warm mortars prepared on porous sand.

Lightweight walls are laid with jointing on the front side. In the window sill areas of the outer walls, in areas near the edge of the base, to protect them from moisture, the top 2 rows are laid out with solid brickwork. Lightweight brick and concrete masonry consists of two quarter-brick thick walls and lightweight concrete placed between them. The walls are connected with bonded rows, extending three bricks into the concrete and placed every 3 or 5 lateral rows of masonry.

The butt rows (diaphragms) can be placed in one plane or staggered, depending on the accepted wall thickness, which can be from 380 to 680 mm. Instead of continuous butted rows, the connection between the longitudinal walls can be made with separate bricks laid in the longitudinal walls with butts at least through 2 rows in height and at least through two bricks laid in spoons along the length of the longitudinal walls.



Lightweight brick and concrete masonry: 1 – bonded rows; 2 – spoon rows; 3 – lightweight concrete

Brick and concrete masonry used in the construction of buildings up to four floors high. The composition of lightweight concrete is selected depending on the number of storeys of the building under construction, the quality of the aggregates and the brand of cement. The walls are erected with belts, the height of which is determined by the transverse ligation of the masonry in bonded rows. If the bonded rows are arranged staggered, then first lay out the outer bonded verst and the inner spoon row, then 2 outer and 2 inner spoon rows, after which the space between the laid out rows is filled with concrete. Having finished laying the concrete in this zone, 3 rows of masonry are again laid out, first the outer spoon verst, and then the inner one, in which the tie row is laid first, and then 2 spoon versts. Then the laying process is repeated.

Lightweight well masonry consists of two longitudinal walls, each a quarter of a brick thick, located at a distance of 140-340 mm from each other and connected to each other through 650-1200 mm in length by transverse walls a quarter of a brick thick. The masonry of the transverse walls is tied with the longitudinal walls through one row. The resulting wells between the longitudinal and transverse walls are filled with light backfill mineral heat-insulating materials (crushed stone and sand of light rocks, expanded clay, slag) and lightweight concrete liners in the form of stones. The backfill is laid in layers 110-150 mm thick, compacted by layer-by-layer compaction and watered with solution every 100-500 mm in height.

The brickwork, lined with thermal insulation boards, has a thickness of 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 bricks. Wall with inside they are insulated with foam silicate and other tile heat-insulating materials, which are installed either close to the tile or at a distance of 30 mm from it, creating an air gap between the masonry and the slabs. Methods of attaching tile insulation to brickwork depend on the material of the slabs and their sizes. Masonry with widened joints is used when constructing walls made of brick or lightweight concrete stones. The widened seam is located closer to the outer surface of the wall. It is filled with inorganic thermal insulation materials or mortar (if the masonry is carried out using light mortars prepared on porous aggregates).

Laying lintels and arches. The part of the wall that covers a window or doorway is called a lintel. If the load from the floors is transferred to the wall directly above the opening, load-bearing precast reinforced concrete lintels are used. In the absence of such a load, to cover openings less than 2 m wide, reinforced concrete non-load-bearing or ordinary brick lintels are used in the form of masonry on high-strength mortars with reinforcing bars to support the bricks of the lower row. Instead of ordinary ones, wedge jumpers are sometimes made, which serve at the same time architectural details facade.

For the same purpose, arched lintels are often erected for spans up to 3.5-4 m. Arched masonry is also used to construct floors in buildings; such ceilings are called vaulted (vaults). When laying lintels, all longitudinal and transverse seams must be completely filled with mortar, since such masonry works not only for compression, but also for bending. When the vertical joints are weakly filled with mortar, under the influence of loads, individual bricks first shift, and then the masonry collapses.

Ordinary jumpers. Ordinary lintels are laid from selected whole bricks, observing the horizontality of the rows and the rules for tying ordinary masonry. The height of an ordinary lintel is 4-6 rows of masonry, and the length is 50 cm greater than the width of the opening. For laying lintels, use a mortar of grade no lower than 25. Under the bottom row of bricks in the lintel, in a layer of mortar 2-3 cm thick, place at least three reinforcing bars made of round steel with a diameter of at least 6 mm, usually at the rate of one rod with a cross-section of 0.2 cm 2 for every half-brick of wall thickness, unless the design requires stronger reinforcement. The reinforcement absorbs the tensile forces arising in the masonry. The ends of the round rods are passed beyond the edges of the opening by 25 cm and bent around the brick.

A
Row lintel: 1 – 4 cm layer of mortar; 2 – reinforcement bars; 3 – laying a regular lintel; 4 - formwork	Wedge lintel: 1 – corner of wedge-shaped masonry; 2 – castle brick
	Laying ordinary lintels (continued): b – section; c – masonry on plank formwork; d – masonry on inventory circles; 1 – reinforcing bars; 2 – boards; 3 – wooden circles; 4 – tubular circles

Ordinary lintels are made using temporary formwork from boards 40-50 mm thick. A solution is spread over it, into which reinforcing bars are then embedded. The ends of the formwork rest on bricks released from the masonry; After the formwork is removed, they are cut down. Sometimes the ends of the formwork are inserted into the grooves on the slopes of the openings, which are laid after the formwork is removed. If the opening width is more than 1.5 m, then a stand is placed under the formwork in the middle or the formwork is supported on wooden circles (boards placed on edge). Inventory tubular supports-circles are used.

They are made from two pieces of pipe with a diameter of 48 mm, inserted into a third piece of pipe with a diameter of 60 mm. When laying the circle, the pipes are moved apart so that the ends of a smaller diameter go inside the grooves left in the masonry. Two circles are placed on each opening; they can also be installed in the case when the opening already has window and door blocks. With other types of circles, the opening can be filled with blocks only after removing the lintel formwork.

Wedge and beam lintels. Wedge and beam lintels are laid out of ordinary ceramic bricks by forming wedge-shaped seams, the thickness of which at the bottom of the lintel is at least 5 mm, at the top - no more than 25 mm. The masonry is laid in transverse rows along the formwork held in place by circles. Before laying the lintel, the wall is erected to the level of the lintel, simultaneously laying out its supporting part (heel) from hewn brick (the direction of the supporting plane is determined by the template, i.e. the angle of its deviation from the vertical). Then the rows of masonry are marked on the formwork so that their number is odd, taking into account the thickness of the seam.


Beam masonry of the lintel: 1 – wedge-shaped masonry; 2 – laying the beam lintel	Onion arched lintel: 1 – “lock”; 2 – curve of the arch of the lintel; 3 – heel; 4 – wedge-shaped seams; 5 - cord; 6 – point of intersection of the lines of the supporting parts of the masonry; 7 – opening width

In this case, the rows of masonry are counted horizontally rather than vertically. The central odd row of bricks is called the castle row. It should be in the center of the jumper in a vertical position. The laying of wedge and beam lintels is carried out evenly on both sides from the heel to the castle so that it is wedged in the castle by the central odd brick. The correct direction of the seams is checked with a cord secured at the point of intersection of the mating lines of the supporting parts (heels). For spans of more than 2 m, the laying of wedge lintels is not allowed.

Arched lintels and vaults. Arched lintels, as well as arches and vaults, are laid out in the same sequence as wedge lintels. The seams between the rows should be perpendicular to the curved line forming the lower surface of the arch and the outer surface of the masonry. The masonry joints are given a wedge shape with widening at the top and narrowing at the bottom. This arrangement of the rows of masonry and the beds separating them corresponds to the first rule of cutting masonry, since in arches and vaults the force from the load changes its direction, acting tangentially to the curved arch. The beds of the rows turn out to be perpendicular to the direction of pressure. The laying of arched lintels is carried out on formwork of the appropriate shape in the same sequence as the laying of wedge lintels. The direction of the radial seams and the correct placement of each row are checked using a cord secured in the center of the arch. Using a cord and a square template, one of the sides of which has a shape corresponding to the curvature of the arch, the position of each row of masonry is determined and checked.

The design of the formwork for laying vaults and arches must be such that it can ensure uniform lowering during stripping. To do this, wedges are placed under the circles, and when they are gradually loosened, the formwork is lowered. The holding time for arched and wedge lintels on the formwork, depending on the outside temperature in summer conditions and the brand of mortar, can be from 5 to 20 days, and for ordinary lintels - from 5 to 24 days.