Masonry
  • Is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar.
  • Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction.
  • However, the materials used, the quality of the mortar and workmanship, and the pattern in which the units are assembled can significantly affect the durability of the overall masonry construction.
  • The common material's used in masonry construction:
    • brick
    • stone
    • marble
    • granite
    • travertine
    • limestone
    • concrete block
    • glass block
    • stucco
    • tile

Applications:

  • Masonry is commonly used for the walls of buildings, retaining walls and monuments.
  • Brick and concrete block are the most common types of masonry used.
  • Concrete blocks, especially those with hollow cores, offer various possibilities in masonry construction.

Advantages:

  • The use of materials such as brick and stone can increase the thermal mass of a building.
  • Brick typically will not require painting and so can provide a structure with reduced life-cycle costs.
  • Masonry is very heat resistant and thus provides good fire protection.
  • Masonry walls are more resistant to projectiles, such as debris from high winds.
  • Masonry structures built in compression preferably with lime mortar can have a useful life of more than 500 years as compared to 30 to 100 for structures of steel or reinforced concrete.

Disadvantages:

  • Extreme weather causes degradation of masonry wall surfaces due to frost damage.
    • This type of damage is common with certain types of brick, though rare with concrete blocks.
  • Masonry tends to be heavy and must be built upon a strong foundation usually reinforced concrete to avoid settling and cracking.

R. Graham Construction has a skilled mason on staff with the ability to repair (tuck-pointing), replace (re-build), or build to your specific needs.