Types of Bonds in Brick Masonry Wall Construction and their Uses

The brickwork bond is the way in which various types of bricks have been laid out to form things including walls, paths or floors. The brickwork bonding is also used for the mansory construction and the concrete blocks. In the brickwork, brick has been placed on their side, laid flat or stood up in a row. The brick bond refers to the pattern that is made by bricks. Lots of patterns made of bricks are available which look different from each other and have their own strength while building a wall.

In the brickwork, bricks have been laid to an offset pattern which helps to maintain an adequate lap among the joints from one course to the next as well as it helps to ensure that the vertical joints have been not positioned above one another on the consecutive courses. The bonding in the brickwork helps to distribute the load of the building structure evenly over a large area.

Rules for making good brickwork bonding

To achieve good bonding in the brickwork, several rules need to be followed, which are as follows:

➢ Each brick size which is going to be used in the brickwork should be the same. As a result, the bricks can be fitted evenly and the length of the bricks should be twice their width. In the case of the lap is different, a good brick bond can’t be made.
➢ In the brickwork, the overlap should be ¼ of the brick along with the length of the wall and ½ across the width.
➢ There is no need for the brickbats unless the builder is told to use them in certain places.
➢ The vertical joints should be the same on the vertical axis in each course.
➢ It also needs to avoid the raked joints and other types of joints which create a horizontal water table during the brickwork. In the brickwork, the joints should be concave and worn down.

Different types of brickwork bonding

There are different types of bonding in the brickwork which helps to make the wall stronger and good looking. These types of brickwork bonding are as follows:

Stretcher Bond

This is the most typical laid bond which is one of the time and cost-effective ways of laying the brickwork. In this type of brickwork bonding, the pattern has been laid along with the stretcher course that sits halfway over the joint of the course.

Header Bond

This type of bonding in the brickwork is similar to the stretcher bond which features courses of headers. In this type of bonding, all the bricks have been placed as the headers on the faces of the walls.

Flemish Bond

This type of bonding is the traditional bonding pattern in which stretchers and headers have been laid alternatively in a single course. These types of brickwork bonding look attractive aesthetically, though it is weaker than the English bond for the construction of load-bearing walls. This type of brickwork bonding has been used for those walls which are two bricks thick.

Stack Bond

In this type of brickwork bonding, the bricks have been laid directly on the top of one another along with all joints aligned. In this case, the bricks are stacked vertically down the wall which leads to minimal bonding. As a result, this type of brickwork bonding has less structural integrity rather than the other types of bonding in the brickwork. The stack brickwork bonding has been used for decorative purposes.

English Bond (strongest brick bond)

This is one of the oldest forms of brickwork bonding. This type of brick bond combines the alternative courses of the headers and stretchers. The English bond has been considered as the strongest brick bond which has been used for engineering projects and the construction of bridges. More facing bridges are required for this type of bonding in the brickwork as compared to the other types of bonding in the brickwork.

Garden Wall Bond

Fewer bricks have been used in brickwork bonding. This economical brickwork bonding has been used for building single-thickness walls which do not have to support a structure. This type of brickwork bonding does not utilise as many headers which helps to make it weaker but also less material-intensive.

Raking Bond

In this type of bonding in the brickwork, bricks have been placed at an angle which helps to create different diagonal patterns. These types of brick patterns can be purely decorative as well as help to enhance the stability of the wall.

ZigZag Bond

This type of bonding in the brickwork visually appeared as the striking patterns in which bricks were laid to create a zigzag pattern. Thus, this type of brickwork bond helps to mark a unique spot among all different types of brickwork bonds. This zigzag bond has structural limitations, so, it is not used for the structural walls.

Facing Bond

These types of brickwork bonding have been designed to appear as the stretcher bond. But in this case, the headers are included at regular intervals which helps to tie a facing of bricks to the backing.

Rat Trap Bond

This is a hollow wall pattern in which bricks have been laid on their edges rather than flat. This brickwork bonding helps to create a cavity in the wall which helps to offer better thermal insulation. The rat trap bond uses fewer bricks as compared to the other types of brickwork bonding, thus, this brickwork bonding is more cost-effective as compared to the other types of brickwork bonding. For this type of bonding, skilled workers are required because of the complexity of the construction procedure.

Scottish Bond

Several rows of stretchers have been used in the Scottish bond which has been followed by a row of headers. This helps to provide a strong wall along with a distinctive pattern.

To learn more, watch the following video tutorial.

Video Source: Civillogy (Study of Civil Engineering)

Importance of good bonding in the brickwork

➢ Good bonding in the brickwork is important as it helps to ensure the strength of the entire construction structure in all directions.
➢ The bricks can be laid in a regular pattern in good brickwork, which helps create a more welcoming appearance.
➢ Good brickwork bonding is also important as it acts as the bounded mass which helps to transfer the weight of the structure uniformly to the foundations by breaking the flow of the joints.