THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF KENYA

SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
BACHELOR OF REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
NAME: BRIAN KIPLANGAT
REG. NO: EARQ/00899/2019
MASONRY LABORATORY
Masonry is the art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.
Construction of poured concrete, reinforced or unreinforced, is often also considered masonry.
The art of masonry originated when early man sought to supplement his valuable but rare natural
caves with artificial caves made from piles of stone. Circular stone huts, partially dug into the
ground, dating from prehistoric times have been found in the Aran Islands, Ireland. By the 4th
millennium BCE, Egypt had developed an elaborate stonemasonry technique, culminating in the
most extravagant of all ancient structures, the pyramids.
The choice of masonry materials has always been influenced by the prevailing geological
formations and conditions in a given area.
Masonry construction begins with extractive materials, such as clay, sand, gravel, and stone,
usually mined from surface pits or quarries. The most widely used rocks are granite (igneous),
limestone and sandstone (sedimentary), and marble.
Laboratory/workshop safety precautions
1 The laboratory should always be kept clean. Make sure that all tools and equipment is returned
to its proper place at the end of the day or after use.
2 All combustible material should be kept away from any equipment or tools that produce
sparks.
3 Safety clothing and protective gear are a must. Sandals and slippers are not for workshop
practice.
4 Make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height with plenty of room to set out your
tools and workpiece.
5 All the equipment in your workshop should be properly supported. This is to ensure that
objects do not fall down or fall over causing injuries.
6 Always keep your tools in proper working order. Regular maintenance of your equipment can
help prevent accidents.
7 Concentration is essential in a workshop environment. Accidents are often caused because of
lack of concentration.
8 Do not use any tools under the influence of alcohol or medication. Drinking and eating should
be avoided in the workshop.
9 Before any operation is carried out in the workshop, permission must be obtained from the
workshop supervisor.
Concrete masonry unit
Concrete masonry unit (CMU) is a standard-size rectangular block used in building construction.
CMUs are some of the most versatile building products available because of the wide variety of
appearances that can be achieved using them.
 A pallet of 8-inch CMUs.
Types of Bonds in Brick Masonry Wall construction and their uses
Types of bonds in brick masonry wall construction are classified based on laying and
Bonding style of bricks in walls. The bonds in brick masonry is developed by the
Mortar filling between layers of bricks and in grooves when bricks are laid adjacent to
Each other and in layers in walls.
Mostly used material for bonds in brick masonry is cement mortar. Lime mortar and mud mortar
are also used.
The most commonly used types of bonds in brick masonry are:
1. Stretcher bond
2. Header bond
3. English bond
4. Flemish bond

1Stretcher bond
Stretcher bond, also called as running bond, is created when bricks are
Laid with only their stretchers showing, overlapping midway with the courses of bricks below
and above.
Stretcher bond in the brick is the simplest repeating pattern. But the limitation of
stretcher bond is that it cannot make effective bonding with adjacent bricks in full
width thick brick walls. They are suitably used only for one-half brick thick walls such
as for the construction half brick thick partition wall.
Walls constructed with stretcher bonds are not stable enough to stand alone in case
of longer span and height. Thus they Then need supporting structure such as brick
masonry columns at regular intervals. Stretcher bonds are commonly used in the steel or
reinforced concrete framed structures as the outer facing. These are also used as the outer facing
of cavity walls.
Other common applications of such walls are the boundary walls, gardens etc.
2 Header bond
Header is the shorter square face of the brick which measures 9cm x 9cm. Header
bond is also known as heading bond. In header bonds, all bricks in each course are
placed as headers on the faces of the walls.
While Stretcher bond is used for the construction of walls of half brick thickness whereas header
bond is used for the construction of walls with full brick thickness which measures 18cm.
In header bonds, the overlap is kept equal to half width of the brick. To achieve this, three
quarter brick bats are used in alternate courses as quoins.
3 English bond
English bond in brick masonry has one course of stretcher only and a course of
Header above it, i.e. it has two alternating courses of stretchers and headers.
Headers are laid centered on the stretchers in course below and each alternate row is vertically
aligned.
To break the continuity of vertical joints, quoin closer is used in the beginning and end of a wall
after first header. A quoin close is a brick cut lengthwise into two halves and used at corners in
brick walls .
4 Flemish Bond
For the breaking of vertical joints in the successive courses, closers are inserted in
alternate courses next to the quoin header. In walls having their thickness equal to
odd number of half bricks, bats are essentially used to achieve the bond.
Flemish bond, also known as Dutch bond, is created by laying alternate headers and
stretchers in a single course. The next course of brick is laid such that header lies in
the middle of the stretcher in the course below, i.e. the alternate headers of each
course are centered on the stretcher of course below.
Every alternate course of flemish bond starts with header at the corner.
The thickness of Flemish bond is minimum one full brick.
The disadvantage of using flemish bond is that construction of Flemish bond is difficult and
requires greater skill to lay it properly as all vertical mortar joints need to be aligned vertically
for best effects.
For the breaking of vertical joints in the successive courses, closers are inserted in alternate
courses next to the quoin header.
In walls having their thickness equal to odd number of half bricks, bats are used to achieve the
bond.
Flemish bonds have better appearance but are weaker than English bonds for load bearing wall
construction. Thus, if the pointing has to be done for brick masonry walls, then Flemish bond
may be used for better aesthetic view. If the walls have to be plastered, then it is better to use
english bond.
1.Masonry Hammer
A masonry hammer is shaped like a claw hammer, having a longer handle and a head, but that is
where the similarity stops.
The masonry hammer’s head is also two-sided, like the claw hammer, but one side has a square
face on it, made for pounding in nails. The other side of the head has a long chisel-like tip that is
very sharp. This side is used to split bricks or break small pieces off rocks.
 2 Trowel
A trowel is a small pie-shaped tool that is attached to a small handle. It is used to pick up mortar
and spread it onto the brick you are about to put in place. Sometimes the brick may get set down
a little out of alignment.
The butt end of the handle can be used to tap it into place. Trowels come in all shapes and sizes.
The one that you use depends on how big or how special the job is.

3 Masonry Square
The masonry square looks like a standard square, but it is usually made of wood or plastic. The
square is used at the corner of two perpendicular walls to make sure the bricks are set at an exact
90° angle.
4 Mason’s Level
The mason’s level looks like a standard level, but it is usually made out of wood or plastic and is
very lightweight. These levels, like standard levels, have vials in them set at different angles, and
each vial has an air bubble. There are two lines marking the center of each vial. When the bubble
is in between the two center lines, the mason knows that the surface is level.

5 Mixing tools
There are several different tools that can be used to mix mortar. You can get an electric mixer, or
you can use a standard shovel and/or hoe. Just add water, mix well, and you are ready to go.
6 Spade /
Tool with a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade and a long handle, used for digging
or cutting earth, sand, turf, etc.
7 Tape measure
Tape measures are used to measure out where your walls begin and end, or how large an opening
is meant to be.
8 Brushes
Soft-bristled brushes are used to remove any excess mortar.