10/9/2017 What are the Causes of Brick Facade Deterioration in Buildings?

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What are the Causes of Brick Facade Deterioration in Buildings?

Home (https://theconstructor.org/) Building Technology (https://theconstructor.org/building/) What are the Causes of Brick Facade Deterioration in Buildings?

There are various factors that lead to damages and deterioration of brick Search
facades such as temperature, humidity, size and shapes etc. These
factors affecting brick facades are discussed.

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Fig.1: Deteriorated Brick Facade of a Building

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There are two main factors that may contribute to deterioration and applications/18576/)
damage of brick faade, namely, grip material quantity placed at the
back of the brick and brick smooth cutting.

So, the connection between brick facade and bearing wall is based on (https://theconstructor.org/building/floor-
the resistant and deformity of the material used to create the link screed-types-materials-uses/18566/)
between bearing wall and brick facade. What is Floor Screed? Its Types,
Materials, Construction and Applications
It is necessary to ensure these properties of gripping material through (https://theconstructor.org/building/floor-

tests to have good adherence. screed-types-materials-uses/18566/)

https://theconstructor.org/building/brick-facade-deterioration-in-buildings/18585/ 1/3
10/9/2017 What are the Causes of Brick Facade Deterioration in Buildings?

The gripping material such as mortar should behave elastically and does
not suffer damages under stress. This property could be achieved to a
certain extent by introducing lime to the mortar. (https://theconstructor.org/structural-
engg/types-structural-steel-framing-
Brick Facade Deterioration due to Temperature Gradient systems/18554/)
What are the Types of Structural Steel
Temperature variation would lead to differential movements or Framing Systems?
deformation of mortar and brick facade. So, when temperature rises, the (https://theconstructor.org/structural-
expansion of mortar and brick facade would be different because their engg/types-structural-steel-framing-

(https://www.pushengage.com) Get Notifications

masses are different. systems/18554/)

To eliminate or decrease the degree of damage due to temperature

variations, it is recommended to make the resistance of mortar joints
smaller than that of brick.

This will guarantee the breakage of mortar prior to the brick because the
repair of the mortar joint would be easier compared to the brick.

Fig.3: Damage of Brick Faced due to Temperature Variation

Deterioration of Brick Facade due to Humidity Variations

The ingression of humidity into the brick facade and mortar joints lead to
their expansion and contraction.

By and large, this movement does not lead to brick facade or mortar
joint deteriorations, but if it is persistent it would impair damages.

There are several factors that help the penetration of humidity into the
facade bricks and mortar joints. For example, construction practice,
direction of the structure, improper selection of bricks (poor brick
quality) and quality of mortar and additives.

It is claimed that, the cracks developed in mortar is the major cause of

humidity penetration. This problem cannot be tackled unless the factor
that lead to humidity penetration are eliminated.

Fig.4: Humidity Penetration Caused Expansion of Brick and

Mortar, Mortar Joint Failed

Brick Facade Damages Because of Construction Practices

The construction practice is another factor that may lead to deterioration

of brick facade. Certain construction errors such as omitting the
provision of proper means for ventilation in specific areas of the brick
facade lead to retain and accumulate the penetrated water which is not
desirable.

The next construction error is caving mortar when bricks are joined
together. This would encourage the retention of water which is again not
favored.

Clearly, the presence of water would lead to expansion and contraction

of bricks and mortar joints and consequently deterioration would occur
such as buckling or bricks and damages of materials used to connect
bricks to the bearing wall.

The solution of this problem is to eliminate construction errors at first

place.

Deterioration of Brick Facade due to Environmental

Conditions

https://theconstructor.org/building/brick-facade-deterioration-in-buildings/18585/ 2/3
10/9/2017 What are the Causes of Brick Facade Deterioration in Buildings?

Certainly, environmental condition would influence the response or

behavior of the brick facade. The environmental condition in combination
with the pores of brick facade will influence quantity of humidity with the
facade brick.

Evaporation of moisture in facade wall is greatly affected by the

conditions around the structure. For example, humidity in the air around
the structure, ambient temperature and wind velocity influence the rate
of evaporation in the brick facade wall.

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The rate of evaporation in the brick facade would increase when the
degree of temperature increase. However, the increase of humidity in air
surrounding the structure would decline evaporation.

It is obvious that, brick facade suffers from deterioration mainly during

wetting and drying. Therefore, it is evident from the above discussion
that environmental condition would substantially influence the brick
facade damages.

Finally, it is proven that, the brick facade walls, which are frequently
exposed to rain and wind, will experience greater and quicker
deterioration. So, this explains the importance of the direction of the
structure.

Read More:

Defects in Brick Masonry due to Poor Workmanships and its

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Construction (https://theconstructor.org/building/calcium-silicate-
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References

ANGELES MAS TOMS, VICENTE GALVA LLOPIS, ENRIQUE GIL BENSO.

Environmental Conditions in the Deterioration of Brick Facades. Journal
of performance of facilities , v. III, p. 144-150, June 2009.

ERIN L. KESEGI, AIA AND ROBERT A. MARSOLI, JR. Preventing and

Treating Distress in brick veneer cavity wall. Journal of architectural
technology , Hoffmann, v. 33, n. 1, p. 1-8, 2016.

NICHOLAS SIMMONS. Masonry Facade Water Intrusion. failures

(https://failures.wikispaces.com/Masonry+Facade+Water+Intrusion),
2010. Accessed on: 30 set. 2017.

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