Reinforced Brick Masonry Techniques in Civil Engineering

Published on 19 May 2022. Written by Salman Mohammed

Reinforced brick masonry (RBM) is completely different from the normal methods of brickworks. The main difference is the concept of grouting the brick masonry.

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It consists of brick masonry which has steel reinforcement embedded in mortar. This masonry has greatly increased resistance to forces that produce tensile and shear stresses. The reinforcement provides additional tensile strength allowing better use of masonry’s compressive strength. These two materials complement each other and result in excellent structural element.

Materials used:

1. First class bricks: well burnt, uniform in color, uniform length and width, sharp well defined edges, smooth surface without flaws, cracks, stone grits.
2. Cement mortar with the ability to bind the bricks or stones firmly with a cement-sand ratio 1:3
3. Reinforcement: wrought iron flat bars, steel meshes also called EXMET.

Applications:

RBM is used to construct the following:

1. Brick arches
2. Brick slabs
3. Reinforced brick beam
4. Piers
5. Columns

Advantages of RBM over RCC constructions:

1. Additional strength imparted to the masonry
2. Low cost housing
3. Low labor cost
4. Plays important role during earthquake better than RCC
5. Brick retaining walls are often reinforced since it is cheaper than RCC
6. Weather protection
7. Cheaply supervised

Disadvantages:

1. Moisture penetration
2. Thermal expansion
3. Required skilled masons
4. A slow and tedious process
5. Labor intensive construction
6. Load bearing masonry has a high self-weight or low strength-to-weight ratio.

Conclusion: Reinforced brick masonry is one of the techniques achieved for the economical constructions and low budget houses.

Kit required to develop Reinforced Brick Masonry Techniques in Civil Engineering:

• Brick
• Cement mortar
• Grouting

Technologies you will learn by working on Reinforced Brick Masonry Techniques in Civil Engineering:

• Reinforced
• Cement mortar
• First class brick

Any Questions?