Following are some of the points that should be known before making 9" brick wall masonry.
1. Soaking:
The soaked brick should be removed from the water half an hour before starting the masonry work. The brick should look wet when you use them for the wall construction. The brick should be soaked to a level where water should not drip from them at the time of construction.
The soaking time depends upon the type of brick, quality, & porosity level of the brick. On average, 12hrs of the soaking period is enough to completely saturate the brick with water.
Dry brick absorbs water from the mortar which weakens the bond strength.
2. Hacking:
Hacking is a must over all concrete surfaces to have a good bonding with the brick masonry. If the wall is extended from the existing wall surface, toothing is a must to have a good grip. If there is no toothing, you have to use wall starters to create bonding & anchorage at the junctions.
3. Cross joint:
The cross joint should be alternate & they should not come in line with each other. This helps to avoid cracks & enhances the wall strength.
The thickness of the bed joint should be uniform in each course of the brick.
4. Mix ratio:
Normally, a 1:4, 1:5, or 1:6 mortar ratio is used to construct 9" brick walls. Use a 1:5 ratio to make a stronger wall within a budget. In any condition, the mortar ratio should not exceed 1:6.
5. Mixing time:
The mixed wet volume of the mortar should be such that it should be consumed within 30mins. The mortar should be mixed part by part in batches as per the requirement.
This is because the initial setting time of cement is 30mins.
6. Water quality:
The water should be free of alkalines, salts, or any other organic impurities. Use clean & soft water in preparing the wet mortar.
The salts present in water gives rise to efflorescence in the future.
7. Mortar thickness:
The thickness of the mortar in the joints should be kept between 10mm to 12mm. In any case, the thickness of the bed joint should not exceed 15mm. A thick mortar joint won't add any strength to the wall masonry. It only adds more money to your construction budget.
8. Level:
The horizontal level should be marked at the column ends using a water tube level or level instrument. The line-out string should be placed over the level marker to make the brick course in a horizontal plane. The level should be rechecked for every 1m height of the brick wall.
9. Plumb check:
The verticality of the masonry work should be checked at the column end closure using a plumb bob or spirit level. The line-out string should be tied to these end bricks ( closure) whose verticality is set. The inner bricks should be placed in line with the tied string.
The wall surface should not be offset by the building columns. The total wall length in between the corner columns of the building should fall in a single parallel line.
10. Working height:
The construction height of the 9" wall should not be more than 1.5 meters for a single day. Normally, the height between the slab to floor level will be lesser than or equal to 3.1m. It is advisable to build the wall in 2 to 3 successive days, covering 1m. to 1.5m in height per day.
The horizontal distance between the two columns should be covered fully without leaving any joints. There is no restriction on the length of the wall for the horizontal construction between the columns.
11. Brick frog position:
While laying the brick walls, the brick frog should be kept facing upside. The purpose of providing a brick frog is to create a good bond between the masonry layers.
If the frog surface is kept upside down, the voids are formed, resulting in an improper weak bond in the joints.
12. RCC band:
It is a must to provide an RCC band in the masonry works. The longitudinal rebars should be inserted into the columns by drilling a hole. The maximum height of the RCC band should not exceed 1.8m. or say 6 ft. It is well & good if you are providing throughout bands at the sill level & at the lintel level of the building.
13. Curing:
Curing is a must to make a super-strong brick wall. You have to start curing immediately after 24 hrs. from day-1 of construction. If you have made quality work as per the specification, & if the wall lacks the proper curing, then it is a total waste of money.
14. Brick cutting:
The cutting work over the brick wall for concealed wiring & plumbing should be started after the completion of the curing period. At least you have to wait for 7 days for cutting work.
You should use a cutter machine to make the grooves for the pipe fixtures. Chiseling by hand may give rise to cracks in the walls.
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Thank you for going through this article❤. Have a good day 😄.
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