Welcome

Congratulations, on reaching my blog. Created mainly
for Brickwork students, it is suitable for anyone wishing
to learn more about the Art and Craft of Bricklaying

Image: AC Motors

Individual posts might be a bit slow to load, because they include:

Ebooks from Google
PDF Files in Scribd
Trade Literature
Brick Bulletins
and Animations

If you know of any good books or articles,
that I have not included, please post a comment

Bat Boxes

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IMAGE HERE

natural

Front Cover of book

Eco-Renovation
The Ecological Home
Improvement Guide

by Edward Harland

Published by
Green Books Ltd in 1993

ISBN 1 8700 9852 8

Text from page 26

Habitats for Bats

Sutton

Front Cover of book

Technical Education Series
Construction Technology
Level I and II

by BHC Sutton

Published by
Blackie & Son Ltd in 1980

ISBN 0 216 90629 6

A force is either a pull or push, and it is measured in the Newton (N). The strength of a material is a measure of its power to resist such forces

Forces acting on a body - Page 11

If a pair of forces pull on a body, they will tend to stretch it. These are called tensile forces

A pair of forces pushing on a body will tend to compress it, and are called compressive

Mixing Concrete

Front Cover of book

Home Maintenance Manual

by Simon James

Published by
Sphere Books Limited in 1983

ISBN 0 7221 0582 7

As the title implies, this is a general DIY book, describing Plumbing, Electrical and Carpentry projects, as well as Bricklaying

How to mix Concrete
Images and text from page 186-187

home maintenance V2

Image from page 193

Stretcher Bond

Used in single walls and for cavity walling

The bricks are laid with their long side exposed

Image from page 193

English Bond

Makes a 9" (215 mm) wall

The bond consists of alternate rows of stretchers and headers

Image from page 193

Flemish Bond

Similar to English, but has pairs of stretchers laid with the headers between them

It is weaker than English due to continuous vertical joints

Image from page 193

Open Bond

Purely decorative, this type of wall is basically stretcher bond with spaces between the bricks

Each space is equal to a quarter of the brick length

Home Maintenance

Front Cover of book

Home Maintenance Manual

by Simon James

Published by
Sphere Books Limited in 1983

ISBN 0 7221 0582 7

As the title implies, this is a general DIY book with examples from all the major trades

Items relating to brickwork are shown below

Properties & Use

Front cover of book

Bricks
Their Properties and Use

The Brick Development Association

Published by
The Construction Press Ltd in 1974

ISBN 0 904406 04 0

Stretcher Bond
The normal bond for walls of half-brick thickness

Stretcher Bond - page 29

Stretcher Bond - page 29

Brickwork drawn by Anne June 11

Headers are placed at the quoin, to maintain the bond

Reader's Digest

Front Cover of book

1,001 DIY Hints and Tips

Neil Thomson (Ed)

Published by
Reader's Digest in 2002

ISBN 0 276 42610 X

Weather-Struck Pointing
page 36

A rare example of using a Frenchman
page 37

A Frenchman is a normal butter-knife, with a bent-tip, used to trim away the excess mortar, and leave a clean straight line. The timber batten prevents the mortar dropping onto the rest of the work

Brunskill

Front Cover of book

Vernacular Architecture

by RW Brunskill

Published by
Faber & Faber in 2000

ISBN 0 571 19503 2

Extract from page 48-49



SHAPE: Brickwork shows some variation in size and proportion when used in vernacular buildings. Early and inferior bricks were irregular in shape and size. Even after length and breadth had become standardized (see a) height varied to reach a maximum during the Brick Tax period and again in the Midlands and North during the 19C. (see b)

Gauged Brickwork

Gauged Brickwork by Lynch

A free PDF download of this book is available from Ebooks.org

Stretcher Bond

This animation shows the construction and bonding for an internal corner. The quoin brick is always laid first

English Bond

This animation demonstrates the bonding for a 1-brick wide internal corner in English Bond

Flemish Bond

The face of this bond shows Stretcher, Header,
Stretcher, Header on each course

Monk Bond

Similar to Flemish, but with two stretchers and then a header on the same course. It is relatively easy to build and has ability to form diagonal patterns

Rat Trap Bond

Image from Contractor Talk

This is similar to Flemish Bond, but the bricks are laid on-edge, so the lap is ⅓-brick

The cavity provides a natural temperature-control, and so this bond is popular in India

Twisted Pillars

This animation shows the construction of a twisted brick pillar, 440 by 440mm and offset by 10 degrees

Basket Weave

This is a non load-bearing, decorative bond. Three soldiers and three stretchers are combined in a variety of patterns

Pitman's Vol 2 - Gauge Box

Front Cover of Volume 2

Building Educator
Volume 2

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
30th October 1926

No ISBN number

Gauge Box
This is for accurately measuring the quantites by volume, for concrete or mortar. They are bottomless, have four sides and are often fitted with handles

Gauge Box
Fig. 4 - Volume 2, page 61

Pitman's Vol 2 - Hoffmann Kiln

Front Cover of Volume 2

Building Educator
Volume 2

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
30th October 1926

No ISBN number

Brick Manufacture
The Hoffmann, is undoubtedly the most successful type
of kiln. In these kilns, the whole of the heat generated is utilized progressively, with the result that the process of burning is gradual and controlled

Pitman's Vol 4 - Bonding

Front Cover of Volume 4

Building Educator
Volume 4

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
27th November 1926

No ISBN number

General Principles of Bonding
The arrangement of bricks when building, is of great importance, as upon this depends the strength and appearance of the work

Wall without Bond
Fig. 7 - Volume 4, page 157

Consider Fig.7, it is clear that a wall built in this manner would tend to split along the continuous vertical joints,
if subjected to any irregular strain

Pitman's Vol 4 - Openings

Front Cover of Volume 4

Building Educator
Volume 4

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
27th November 1926

No ISBN number

Window and Door Openings
In forming window and door openings, some modifications of the foregoing rules are necessary, and will entail the use of several different types of closer

Pitman's Vol 4 - Junctions

Front Cover of Volume 4

Building Educator
Volume 4

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
27th November 1926

No ISBN number

Junctions
Where two walls meet at an angle, the bond at the junction should be arranged, if possible, so that the
indent is in the stretching course, and the tie, or projecting toothing of the joining wall, in the heading course

Pitman's Vol 4 - Squints

Front Cover of Volume 4

Building Educator
Volume 4

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
27th November 1926

No ISBN number

Squint Quoins
Where the corner, or quoin, a building is formed by two walls meeting at an angle other than a right angle, specially shaped bricks are required at the external angle

Using Squint bricks for obtuse corners
Fig. 23a - Volume 4, page 162

Bricks purposely manufactured can be obtained for angles in common use, otherwise they must be cut on the job

Pitman's Vol 5 - Bonding

Front Cover of Volume 5

Building Educator
Volume 5

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
11th December 1926

No ISBN number

Stretching Bond
This bond, see Fig. 24, applies to walls of ½-brick thick, such as sleeper or partition walls, and also to chimney stacks, where it is frequently termed chimney bond

Stretching Bond
Fig. 24 - Volume 5 page 214

Pitman's Vol 5 - Cavity Walls

Front Cover of Volume 5

Building Educator
Volume 5

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
11th December 1926

No ISBN number

Cavity Walls
In bleak and exposed situations, subject to driving rain and snow, the external walls of buildings are frequently built with a space in their thickness, usually 2" wide, to prevent penetration of dampness into the interior of the building

Near the sea, the spray carried by the wind, deposits salt on the face of the walls, and this permanently attracts moisture from a humid atmosphere

Pitman's Vol 8 - Isolated Piers

Front Cover of Volume 8

Building Educator
Volume 8

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
22nd January 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from pages 373-374

Isolated Piers
Receiving no support from abutting walls, these need to be of a greater sectional area than connected piers

Their height is relative to their sectional area, owing to brickwork's liability to buckle under its own weight, as well as the applied load

Pitman's Vol 12 - Copings

Front Cover of Volume 12

Building Educator
Volume 12

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
19th March 1927

No ISBN number

The tops of all walls exposed to the weather have to be protected by some form of covering, to prevent the penetration of rainwater, which would otherwise soak down through the wall into the interior of the building

Pitman's Vol 13 - Isometric

The following is an isometric drawing showing
the construction of a small house

Pitman's Vol 14 - Arch History

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from pages 647-654

Origins
The actual origin of the arch is somewhat vague. As far as can be traced, it was first used as an ornamental feature in some of the ancient buildings of Western Asia

Pitman's Vol 14 - Arch Terminology

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 648

Load on a arch
Fig. 52 - Volume 14 page 648

The load carried by an arch is the triangle of brickwork contained within the offsets, shaded in grey

In a segmental arch, this covers the entire span

With a semi-circular arch, it is shown by the tangents to the curve

Pitman's Vol 14 - Types of Arches

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from pages 648-650

There are many different forms of the arch in use at the present time, built up by a combination of different curves

Pitman's Vol 14 - Rough and Relieving Arches

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 649

Rough Arches
These are constructed of uncut bricks, usually built up in concentric rings half a brick thick, the number of rings varying with the span of the opening

Pitman's Vol 14 - Semi-circular Arch

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 651

Semicircular Arch
This is one of the simplest kinds to set out. The springing line is drawn and the span of the opening marked off on either side of a centre line

Pitman's Volume 14 - Segmental Arch

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 651

Segmental Arch
The procedure is similar to that of the semicircular arch, but as the curve is less than a semicircle, the centre will lie below the springing line

Pitman's Volume 14 - Gothic or Pointed Arch

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 651

Gothic or Pointed Arch
These arches consist of two curves meeting at the apex of a triangle. The centres from which the curves are struck may be on or below the springing line, and in between or outside the springing points

Pitman's Vol 14 - Flat or Camber Arch

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from page 652

Flat or Camber Arch
In setting out these arches, the top and bottom edges are equally divided for the voussoirs, as too much room would be required to line out the radials to a centre

Pitman's Vol 14 - Arch Template

Front Cover of Volume 14

Building Educator
Volume 14

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
16th April 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from pages 652-654

Traversing a Mould
Great care is required when cutting the template, which must be perfectly true since any slight inaccuracy will be multiplied by the number of the voussoirs in the arch

Pitman's Vol 20 - Decorative Brickwork

Front Cover of Volume 20

Building Educator
Volume 20

by R Greenhalgh (Ed)

Published by Pitman & Sons Ltd
9th July 1927

No ISBN number

Extract from pages 954-959

Ornamental Brickwork

Ornamented Chimneys
Fig. 77 - Volume 20, page 954

The Tudor chimney stacks of the 16th century, provide very fine examples of this ancient craftsmanship

Many different types can still be seen at Hampton Court Palace

Examples of Herring-bone, Basket-weave, and Checker-board patterns are shown in Figs. 78, 79, 80, and 81

In the Work-Place

In the Work-Place

Suitable for school-leavers, this provides some information about the different trades with the Construction Industry

To view, click the 'Read more' link, under the picture. To open in Google Books, click Work-Place

Bricks, Pavers and Tiles

Austrialian Brick

Although the Google version only displays the first 40 pages, it includes the chapter on Bricklaying

Hand-drawn illustrations are clear and easy to understand

To view, click the 'Read more' link, under the picture. To open in Google Books, click Austrialian

Measuring, Marking and Layout

Measuring, Marking and Layout

In America, they use feet and inches, not millimetres, for measuring length

Google version only displays the first 20 pages

To view, click the 'Read more' link, under the picture. To open in Google Books, click Measuring