Brick Work

specifications
TARUN KUMAR
ANKUR ROY
III-A
 Brickwork I class

Bricks.‑All bricks shall be of first class of standard specifications made of good brick earth thoroughly burnt, and shall
be of deep cherry red of copper color. Bricks shall be regular in shape and their edges should be sharp and square and
shall emit clear ringing on being struck and shall be free from cracks, chips, flaws and lumps of any kind. brick shall
not absorb water more than one‑sixth of their weight after one hour of soaking by immersing in water. Bricks shall
have a minimum crushing strength of 105kgper ‑sqcm (1500 lbs per sq in).
QUALITIES:
•Colour- cherry red/copper
•Absorbs water 1/6 of its own weight
•Crushing strength-105kg/cm2
•Clear ringing sound

Mortar.‑Mortar shall be specified and materials of mortar shall be of standard specifications.

For cement mortar
•Cement shall be fresh Portland cement of standard specifications.
•Sand shall be sharp clean and free from organic and foreign matters.
•For rich mortar Coarse or medium sand should be used
•For weak mortar‑local fine sand may be used.
•Proportion of cement sand mortar may be of (I: 3 to I: 6 as specified).
Masonry Platform
Materials of mortar shall be measured to have the required proportion with measuring box and first mixed dry to have
.a uniform color in, a clean masonry platform and then mixed by adding clear water slowly ,and gradually to have
workable consistency and mixed thoroughly by turning at least three times. Fresh mixed mortar shall be used, old and
stale mortar shall not be used and mortar, for one hour's work only shall be mixed with water so that the mortar may be
used before setting starts.
Lime surkhi (or sand or cinder) mortar if specified shall be mixed in the a‑proportion by grinding in mortar mill for at
least three hours on the same day of um, Lime ‑shall be fresh and slaked and screened at site of work. Fresh mixed
mortar within 24 hours ‑shall be used, old and stale mortar ‑should not be used. For small work hand mixing
maybe .allowed in the same manner as for cement mortar described above. Proportion of lime surkbi (or sand or
cinder) mortar may be I : 2 to I : 3 as specified.

Soaking of brick

•Bricks shall be fully soaked in clean water by submerging in for a period of 12 hours immediately before use.
•Soaking shall be continued till air bubbling is ceased.

Laying.
•Bricks shall be well bounded and laid in English bond unless otherwise specified.
•Every course shall be truly horizontal and wall shall be truly in plumb.
•Vertical joints of consecutive course shall not come directly over one another, vertical joints in alternate course shall
come directly over one another.
•No damaged or' broken bricks‑ shall be used.
•Mortar joints shall not exceed 6 mm thickness and joints shall be fully filled with mortar.

6mm mortar
ENGLISH BOND
 FROGS PLACED DOWNWARD IN TOP COURSE

•Bricks shall be laid with frogs upward except in the top course where frogs shall be placed downward.
•Brickwork shall be carried out not more than 3 ft height at a time.
•When one part of the wall has to be delayed, stepping shall be left at an angle of 45 0
•Corbelling or projections where made should not be more than I brick projections in one course.
•All joints should be raked and faces of wall cleaned at the end of each day's work.

Curing.‑The brickwork shall be kept wet for a period of at least 10 days after laying. At the end of day's work the tops
of walls shall be flooded with water by making small weak mortar edging to contain at least 2 ‑5 cm deep waiter.

Protection.‑The brickwork shall be protected from the effect of sun, rain, frost, etc. during the constructions and until
such time it is green and likely to be damaged.

Scaffolding.‑Necessary and suitable scaffolding shall be provided to facilitate the construction of brick wall.
Scaffolding shall be sound and strong and supports the members sufficiently strong so as to withstand all loads likely
to come upon them.

Measurement.‑
•Brickwork shall be measured in cu m (cu ft).
•Different kinds of brickwork with different mortar shall be taken under separate items.
•The thickness of wall shall be taken as multiple of half brick as half brick 10 cm, I brick 20 cm, 11/2 brick 30 cm and
so on.
•The rate shall be for the complete work including scaffolding and all tools and plants.
 Brickwork II class and III class—
For II class brickwork bricks shall be of second-class and mortar shall be as ‑. Specified, may be kankar lime or white
lime and surkhi (or sand or cinder) of I: 2 to I: 3 proportion. Mortar joints shall not exceed 10 mm in thickness. Bricks
shall be soaked in water for at least three hours immediately before use. Other details are same as above.
For III class brickwork bricks shall be III class if otherwise not specified. Mortar shall be as specified and mortar
joints shall not exceed 12 mm) in thickness. Brick shall be dipped into a tub of water before use.

12MM
Brickwork in mud mortar‑
Bricks shall be specified, may be of II class or Ill class. The mud should be made of selected earth of tenacious nature
so tight it sticks and binds bricks. The earth should be soaked in water at least one day before ‑and then worked up with
water by labourer treading it, until it is perfectly free from dirt and forms a thick plastic mix. Joints should not exceed
12 mm thickness. Soaking of bricks is not required. The bond of brickwork shall be of English bond. Not more than 60
cm height of brickwork shall be carried out at a time, and the walls must be truly in plumb and every course shall be
truly horizontal. Other details of laying, protection, scaffolding and measurement will be similar as above.
.
 Reinforced brickwork (R. B. work)
Bricks shall be strictly of first class, quality and selected first class bricks shall be used. Mortar shall consist of cement
and coarse sand of 1:3 proportions. Cement shall be fine Portland cement. Sand shall be coarse of 5 mm (3/16') size
and down and sharp, clean and free from foreign matters. Steel reinforcement shall be of standard specifications

Centering and shuttering.‑The centering and shuttering shall be made with Planking Or sheeting of bamboos packed
together at the required level supported on runners of beams and covered ‑with a thin layer of about 2 ‑5 cm, thick of
earth finished off with a light sprinkle of sand. The centering shall be simple in construction so that it could be easily
removed with­out disturbing the structure. The planking shall be kept clear of the bearings for slab and will rest on cross
beams only. Planks shall not be laid too close as to tender them liable to jamb. Cross beams shall be carried on the
walls supported at intervals by ballies or temporary dry brick pillars. The top surface of centering shall be given a
camber of 2 mm for every 30 cm of span up to a maximum of 3 cm for slabs and 1 5 mason for every 30 cm of span to
maximum of 4 cm for lintels.

Mixing of mortar.‑Mortar of cement and sand shall be mixed thoroughly in the proportion of I : 3, first by mixing dry
and then adding water slowly and gradually and mixing by turning at least three times to get uniform plastic mix of
workable consistency, so that the mortar maybe packed round the reinforcement. Quantity of water shall not exceed 25
liters (6‑5 g1s) per bag of cement. Mortar shall be mixed just before it actually required and shall be used within 30
minutes. Stale mortar shall never be used.
Laying.‑
•All bricks shall be thoroughly soaked with water for not less than six hours immediately before use.
•Tricks shall be laid with frogs downward over the centering in straight line parallel to the direction of the
reinforcement bars leaving the required gap for mortar joint.
•No vertical joint should come along the inner edge of the wall.
•The gap for mortar joint in which reinforcement has to be placed shall not be less than the four times the diameter of
bar, so as to provide a. cover of 12 mm on all sides of the steel bars. Usually mortar joint shall be 32 min to 40 mm.
Other joints where there will not be any bar may be 6 mm. to 10 mm, thick.
•Reinforced brick slab shall have a bearing equal to their thickness with a minimum of 12 cm.
•After the bricks have been laid and arranged over the whole area fresh mixed mortar shall be placed into the gaps in
between the bricks to a thickness of 2‑5 cm.
•Reinforced rods previously cut to the correct length and bent and hooked as per design shall be placed exactly at the
centre of the joint and pressed down into the mortar to leave I I mm clear mortar ‑below the bar. The joints shall then be
filled incompletely with fresh mortar. Newly laid portion shall. Not be disturbed or walked over. Each slab shall be laid
in one operation. Care shall be taken that the reinforcement at all points is completely surrounded on all sides by
mortar.

Centering and shuttering shall be removed slowly and carefully without any shock not earlier than 10 days. After
removal of the centering if the work is found defective and rods are exposed and visible to sufficient extent the work
shall be dismantled and reconstructed. In such case no extra payment shall be made for reconstruction. lf rods are
exposed at few places only, they should be covered with rich cement mortar of I : 2 proportion by pressing the mortar
into the gap immediately After removal of the centering while the laid work is green.
For double layer the upper layer shall be laid with joints of 10 mm With 1:3 cement and coarse sand mortar
immediately after laying the bottom layer if there are top bars provided in the upper layer, the joints shall be thicker as
for Bottom layer. 2‑5 cm to 4 cm thick cement concrete of 1:2:4 proportions may be provided over the one layer of R.
B work if specified to have greater compressive strength.

Curing.‑ After about two hours laying. When concrete has begun to harden, it shall be kept damp by covering with wet
gunny bags or wet sand for 24 hours, and then cured by flooding with water making mud walls 7.5 cms high or by
covering concrete with special type of waterproof paper as to prevent water escaping or evaporating.

Measurement.‑It shall be taken in cu m for the finished work and no deduction shall be made for the volume of steel.
Steel reinforcement shall be measured under a separate item in quintal (cwt.). Plastering, if any shall not be included in
the measurement. The rate for R.C.C work shall be for the complete work excluding steel but including centering and
shuttering and all tools and plants.