Traditional Brick bond patterns used in masonry wall Construction

Brick bond pattern is an arrangement of bricks. It’s usuallyoverlapping between courses (course means row of bricks). Bond patterns areused to distribute load and provide stability to masonry wall. Bonding can alsobe used for decorative purpose. To construct brick masonry wall we use somebond patterns. Masons are familiar with these bond patterns. As a civilengineer, we should have a through knowledge of the construction of each bond pattern.Below are the simple explanations of the tradition brick bond patterns whichare mostly used in brick wall construction:

Running or Stretcher bond: This is the simplest ofall bond patterns and also most commonly used pattern. This pattern consists ofall Stretcher bricks (full bricks) in courses. The Stretchersinalternate courses are aligned vertically. It’s easy to lay with little waste.

Running or Stretcher bond

Common or American bond or English garden wall bond: Thisbond is a variation of the running bond with a course of full-length headers atregular intervals, generally every fifth, sixth, or seventh course.

Common bond

English bond: This pattern consists of alternatecourses of headers and stretchers. The headers are centred on the stretchers.And the joints between the stretchers in courses are aligned vertically. Thisbond is the strongest bond for one-brick-thick wall. But, it’s seldom used inmasonry today due to high cost of laying a complex pattern.

English bond

English cross bond: This pattern is similar to Englishbond. But it differs in that vertical joints between the stretchers inalternate courses do not align vertically. Sometimes, this bond pattern is alsocalled Dutch bond. But, Dutch bond is little bit different. I’llshow it in another post.

English cross bond

Flemish bond: This is the beautiful bond. Each courseof bricks of this bond consists of alternate stretcher and header. The headersof each course centred over the stretchers of the course below.

Flemish bond

Block or Stacked bond: There is no overlapping ofunits of this bond and this bond consists of only stretchers. Each stretcher islaid over the stretcher below it. The vertical joints of this bond are alignedvertically.

Block or Stacked bond

These are traditional brick bond patterns commonly used inbrick wall construction. Beside these, there are some other bond patterns usedin brick wall. Such as

Raking stretcher bond, Header bond, Monkbond, Double English Cross bond etc.