Bonding is a process of arranging bricks and mortars to tie them
together in a mass of brickwork. It should have a minimum of vertical joints in any part of the work.
Characteristics of brick bond or rules for bonding:
1. The brick masonry should have bricks of uniform shape and size.
2. For satisfactory bondage the lap should be one-fourth of the brick
along the length of the wall and half brick across thickness of the wall.
3. The brick bats use should be discouraged.
4. The vertical joints in the alternate courses should coincides with
the centre line of the stretcher.
5. The alternate courses the centre line of header should coincide
with the centre line of stretcher, in course below or above it.
6. The stretcher should be used only in the facing while hearting
should be done in the headers only.
Classifications of bonds: The bonds can be classified as follows:
(i) Stretcher bond
(ii) Header bond
(iii) English bond
(iv) Double Flemish bond
(v) Single Flemish bond
(vi) Garden wall bond
(vii) Facing bond
(viii) Dutch bond
(ix) Raking bond
(x) Zigzag bond
(xi) English cross bond
(xii) Bonds in columns
(xiii) Brick on edge bond or soldier course
(xiv) Bonds at junction and squint junction
Stretcher bond: In this type of bond all the bricks are laid with their
lengths in the direction of the wall. This pattern is used only for wall having thickness of 9cm only. Header bond: In this type of bond all the bricks are laid with their ends
towards the face of the wall. This arrangement is suitable for one brickwall of curved wall and footings for better load distribution.
English bond: In this type of bond alternate course of headers and
stretchers are laid. It is necessary to place queen closer in the heading course for breaking the joints vertically.
Flemish bond: In this type, alternate heads and stretchers
are laid in each course. The facing and backing are of the same appearance brickbats and queen closers are used.
Dutch bond: This is the modified form of English bond. The
corners of the wall provided with dutch bond are quite strong. The
alternate courses in this type of bond are headers and stretchers. In
stretcher course ¾ bat is used as quoin. A header is placed next to
the ¾ bat in every alternate stretcher course.
Zigzag bond: This type of bond very much similar to herring bone
bond. The only difference is that bricks are laid in zigzag way and used for paving the brick floor.