Masonry is defined as the art of construction in which building
units, such as clay bricks, sand-lime, bricks, stones, Pre-cast hallow concrete blocks, concrete slabs, glass bricks, combination of some of these building units etc are arranged systematically and bonded together to form a homogeneous mass in such a manner that they can with stand
point to other loads and transmit then through the mass without fail or disintegration.
Masonry can be classified into the following categories.
1. Stone masonry
2. Brick masonry
3. Hallow block concrete masonry
4. Reinforced masonry
5. Composite masonry
These can be further sub-divided into varies types depending upon workmanship and type of materials used.
Definitions of terms:
1. Course: A course is a horizontal layer of bricks stones
2. Bed: the surface of a stoneperpendicular to the line of pressure of (lower surface of bricks or stones in each course)
3. Back: The inner surface of wall not exposed is called back. The material forming back is known as backing
4. Face: The exterior of the wall exposed to weather is known as face. The material used in the facing of wall is known as facing.
5. Hearting: It is the interior portion of a wall between facing and backing.
6. Head: It is a brick or stone, which lies with its greatest length at right angles to the face of the work.
7. Stretcher: It is a brick or a stone which lies with its congest side parallel to the face of the work.
8. Bond: The method of arranging bricks so that the individual units are tied together
9. Spalls: The chips of stones used for filling the interstics in stone masonry
10. Quoins: The stones used for the corners of walls of structure.
11. Bat: It is a portion of a brick cut across the width.
12. Closer: It is the portion of a brickcut in such a manner that its one long face remains uncut.
13. Queen closer: it is the portion of a brick obtained by cutting a brick length-wise into two portions.
14. King closer: It is the portion of brick obtained by cutting off the triangular piece between the centre of one end and the centre of one side.
15. Bevelled closer: It is the portion of a brick in which the whole length of the brick is bevelled for maintaining half width at one end and full width at the other.
16. Frog: It is an indentation or depression on the top face of a brick made with the object of forming a key for the mortar.
17. Sill: It is a horizontal stone, concrete or wood, employed for the purpose of shedding off rain water from the face of wall immediately below the window opening.
18. Corbel: It is the extension of one or more course of stone or brick from the face of a wall to serve as a support for wall plates
19. Templates: Pieces of stones placed under the end of a beam to distribute load over a greater area.
20. Coping: It is the course placed upon the exposed top of an external wall to prevent the seepage of water.
21. Buttress: It is a sloping or stepped masonry projection from a tall wall intended to strengthen the wall against the thrust of a roof.