There are many different standards in brick sizes worldwide. A common metric coordinating size is 215 millimetres (8.5 in) x 102.5 millimetres (4.04 in) x 65 millimetres (2.6 in). The two main types are of clay bricks pressed and wire cut. Pressed bricks usually have a deep frog in one bedding surface and a shallow frog in the other. Wire cut bricks usually have 3 or 4 holes through them constituting up to 25% of the total volume of the brick. Some ‘perforated’ bricks have many smaller holes.
The normal type of wall is constructed in solid brick work, normally at least one brick thick, and the different bricklaying patterns are ways of incorporating headers to tie together the layers of brick. Another one is cavity wall; two layers (or leaves) of brick work are tied together with metal ties, with a cavity or 2 to 4 inches that may be filled with insulation. There are three main categories of brick usage and both pressed bricks or wire cut brick types are used in all three categories. Bick work categories are facing brick work, engineering brick work and common brick work. Facing brick work is the visible decorative work. Engineering brick work, often seen in bridges and large industrial construction but may also be hidden in ground works where maximum durability is required e.g. manhole construction. Common brick work is not usually seen and is used where engineering qualities are not required; below ground in domestic buildings and internal walls for instance.
The most familiar brick work bonds are Flemish bond, Stretcher bond, American bond, Garden wall bond, Rat-trap bond.
Flemish bond is also known as Dutch bond. It has historically always been considered the most decorative brick work bond, and for this reason was used extensively for dwellings until the adoption of the cavity wall. It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single course. The next course is laid so that a header lies in the middle of the stretcher in the course below.
Stretcher bond is the common repeating pattern but it is only suitable for a wall half a brick thick, the thinnest possible wall. Such a thin wall is not stable enough to stand alone, and must be tied to a supporting structure. It is common in modern buildings, particularly as the outer face of a cavity wall or as the facing to a timber framed structure.
Garden Wall bonds are named English garden wall bond where either three or five courses of stretchers are laid to every course of headers, Flemish garden Wall Bond where either three or five courses of stretchers are laid between the one course of headers and Water Bond where both skins are built in stretcher bond, but the bed joints in are staggered so as not to align.
Rat-trap bond is also known as Chinese bond. It is a type of garden wall bond similar to Flemish, but consisting of rowlocks and shiners instead of headers and stretchers (the stretchers and headers are laid on their sides, with the base of the stretcher facing outwards).
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