This program is registered with the AIA/CES for

continuing professional education. As such, it

does not include content that may be deemed or
construed to be an approval or endorsement by
the AIA of any material of construction or any
method or manner of handling, using,
distributing, or dealing in any material or
product. Questions related to specific materials,
methods, and services will be addressed at the
conclusion
l i off thi
this presentation.
t ti

ACME BRICK

Technical Services Department

Presents:

Brick Basics
1

ACME BRICK COMPANY is proud to be a

member of the US Green Building Council.
We are continually striving to improve the
durability and reduce the environmental
2
impact of our products.

Building Challenge
Every material has strengths and
weaknesses
Here lies the challenge
Opportunities to be creative

Focus on strengths of each material

Allow for weaknesses of each material
Most of all, you can
3

Genesis 11

BRICK
AN ENDURING LEGACY

3 And they said one to

another, Go to, let us make
brick, and burn them
throughly. And they had
brick for stone, and slime
had they for mortar.
4 And
A d they
th said,
id Go
G to,
t let
l t
us build us a city and a
tower, whose top may
reach unto heaven; and let
us make us a name, lest we
be scattered abroad upon
the face of the whole
earth.

Domo Brunelleschi, Fiorenza (Florence), Italy 1320-1400 AD

COLISEUM ROME
ca 70 AD

10

Cathedral of
Vasily the Blessed,
Moscow 1580-1588

11

12

In 1930 The 77 story

Chrysler Building was
boldly clad in grey brick
and stainless steel. These
have proved to be
impervious to
the acid rain
that attacks
stone and
other
th
cladding
materials.
Architect
William Van Alen

13

14

EARLY BRICKMAKING

15

16

17

18

19

20

EARLY BRICK
MAKING
MACHINE ca
1820 AD

EARLY PUG MILL ca 1800 AD

21

22

23

24

Firing Brick

25

BRICK scove kiln from antiquity to 1800s.

26

MODERN BRICKMAKING

Periodic Kilns 1850s - Present

27

29

28

GRINDING THE CLAY

30

PUG MILL

COLUMN OF VELOUR BRICK

31

33

32

PUSH-THROUGH CUTTER

34

KILN-CAR OF GREEN BRICKS

35

36

37

INSIDE A TUNNEL KILN

39

2,000 F

41

38

TEMPERATURES CAREFULLY CONTROLDED

40

42

Brick Orientation

BRICK TERMINOLOGY

Shiner
Sailor

Soldier

Wythe = a layer of brick in the wall

43

Bond Patterns
RUNNING
BOND

Stretcher

ENGLISH GARDEN
WALL

COMMON
BOND

Rowlock
Header

Header

Bond
Patterns

44

HEADER
BOND

DUTCH
BOND

FLEMISH
BOND

ENGLISH
BOND
FLEMISH STRETCHER
BOND

FLEMISH GARDEN
WALL

45

BRICK SPECIFICATIONS

46

C216 and C 652

ASTM C216 - Facing Brick

C652 - Hollow Brick

1 GRADES
1.
(Strength and Durability)

C902 & C1272 - Paving

P i Brick
Bi k
C67 - Testing Methods

2. TYPES
(Appearance and Quality)

C1262 - Freeze-thaw Testing

47

48

ASTM C216 Weathering Index Map

500

500

500

500

GRADES OF BRICK

500
50

216 FACING BRICK

500

MW = MEDIUM WEATHERING
SW = SEVERE WEATHERING
50

50
50

Over 500 = SW

50

50 500 = SW
0 50 = MW or SW
Weathering
Index

49

average annual number

of freezing cycle days

average annual winter

50
rainfall in inches

C216 BRICK TYPES

Type FBS
Brick for General Use in Masonry
Type FBX
Brick for General Use in Masonry where a
higher degree of precision is required and
l
lower
permissible
i ibl variation
i i
in
i size
i
is
i
required.
Type FBA
Brick for General Use in Masonry selected
for characteristic architectural effects
resulting from non-uniformity in size and
texture of units.
51

TOLERANCES ASTM C216 FACING BRICK

Type
Brick

R-

52

Size

Distortion

Chippage

Extra Chippage

12

12

Edge

Corner

Edge

Corner

1/4

5/16

3/32

1/8

5/16

1/2

15%

7/16

3/4

1/4

3/8

10%

5/16

1/2

Out-of
Square

ASTM C270

FBS

1/8
1/8

S-

FBX

5/32

7/32

1/16

3/32

1/8

1/4

5%

1/4

3/8

FBA

--

--

--

--

AS*

AS*

AS*

AS*

AS*

*AS = Architectural Standards

Mortar for Unit Masonry

3/32

AS*
53

54

Developments in Mortar

Mortar Functions

2200 BC Tower of Babel, Babylon - asphalt and sand

mortar.
1800 BC Great Pyramid, Giza, Egypt used burned
gypsum and sand mortar.
400 BC Ancient Greece and Rome made mortar of
burned lime,
lime volcanic tuffs and sand
sand.
1607 Jamestown, Virginia, used mortar of lime and
sand.
1850 - 1900 Portland cement developed and added
to mortar for strength.
1970s Masonry cement and mortar cement
developed
55

Bond units of brick into an integral

structure.
Seal joints against air and water
penetration.
Cushion and separate brick and
compensate for dimensional variations in
brick.
Flex to accommodate small movements in
the wall.
Bond reinforcement to brick for and crack
control.
56
Decorative effects.

Vee

Concave

Weathered

Absorption Increases
Absorption draws cement paste from
Mortar
mortar
into brick Bond
pores for strong bond.

Struck

Grapevine

Flush

Raked

Extruded

Mortar Joint Tooling affects Water Permeance

Concave and Vee joints are better
Struck and Raked joints are most likely to leak
When joints leak, cavity drainage is critical

57

PROPORTION SPECIFICATIONS:

Measured
Water
6 Cu Ft Sand

59

58

(8) 5-gallon pails filled level with top

with damp loose sand = 6 cubic feet.

Mortar is Specified by VOLUME of

Portland, cement lime, and sand.

Beaded

2 Bags Masonry
Cement

= 6 cu ft mortar

60

10

ASTM C270

Typical Mortar Proportions By Volume*:

MORTAR
TYPE

PORTLAND
CEMENT

LIME

SAND

TYPE M

1 CF

1/3 CF

4 CF

TYPE S

2 CF

1 CF

9 CF

TYPE N

1 CF

1 CF

6 CF

TYPE O

1 CF

2 CF

9 CF

Always specify Type N!

Type N is most water resistant and has ample strength for most load bearing brick
and block.
Type S or M should only be used with high strength block (3000 psi) and brick in
special cases where loads are extremely high.
61
Require your engineer to justify Type S mortar.
Type O lacks sufficient bond strength for many applications and should be avoided.

All Field Mortar is Mixed by

Volume Proportions.
Property specifications are only
intended for designing alternate
proportions
p
p
for field mixes.
Field testing of mortar MAY NOT be
used as a basis for acceptance or
rejection of field mortar.

62

MASONRY CEMENT

CEMENTS USED IN
MORTAR TODAY:

Lowest Cost
Good workability
No bond specification
Quality depends on manufacturer.

MORTAR CEMENT

Portland Cement + Lime

or
Masonry Cement
or
Mortar Cement

Required high bond strength

May
M have
h
lower
l
water
t permeance
Low cost
Efflorescence depends on
composition

PORTLAND-LIME PRE-MIX
63

Highest bond strength

Lowest water permeance
Autogenous healing

64

ASTM C270
Specification for Mortar for
Reinforced or Un-reinforced
Masonry.
y

ASTM C476
Specification for Grout for
Reinforced Masonry.
65

66

11

ACME BRICK

Architectural Details
67

68

69

70

Beauty of Brick Details

Corbels

71

72

12

73

74

75

76

77

78

Special Shapes

13

Or Not

79

80

81

82

83

84

Arches & Soffits

14

85

86

87

88

89

90

15

Sloping Sills

91

92

93

94

95

96

Polychrome Patterns

16

97

98

99

100

101

102

17

103

104

Menier Chocolate
Factory, Paris
Polychrome Brick

105

106

It all boils down

to Workmanship.

107

18