SOLAS Bricklaying flashcards
SOLAS Bricklaying · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Coordinating size of a brick
- The nominal size of a brick plus its joint: 225 mm x 112.5 mm x 75 mm for a standard UK brick, used for setting out and calculating brick quantities.
- Bricks per square metre
- A half-brick wall in standard bricks requires 60 bricks per square metre; a one-brick wall requires 120 bricks per square metre, allowing for 10 mm joints.
- English bond
- A bond with alternating courses of all stretchers and all headers, giving strong walls with no continuous vertical joints; the strongest traditional bond for one-brick walls.
- Flemish bond
- A bond in which each course alternates a stretcher and a header, producing a decorative face pattern; weaker than English bond but more attractive.
- Stretcher bond
- A bond where all bricks are laid lengthwise with joints offset by half a brick; used mainly for half-brick walls and cavity leaves, not for one-brick walls.
- 3-4-5 method
- A setting-out technique using a triangle with sides in the ratio 3:4:5 to establish a right angle at a corner before building begins.
- Gauge rod
- A marked staff with course heights at 75 mm intervals (65 mm brick plus 10 mm joint) used to keep courses level and bed joints consistent.
- Mortar mix 1:1:6
- One part cement, one part lime and six parts sand by volume; a general-purpose mortar suitable for normal exposure and most brickwork above DPC.
- Mortar mix 1:1/4:3
- One part cement, a quarter part lime and three parts sand; a strong mortar used below DPC, in exposed positions and for engineering bricks.
- Damp-proof course height
- The DPC must be at least 150 mm above finished external ground level to prevent rising damp entering the building fabric.
- Wall tie spacing
- Cavity wall ties are fixed at maximum 900 mm horizontal and 450 mm vertical centres, with extra ties at openings and edges.
- Wall tie slope
- Ties should slope slightly downwards towards the outer leaf so any water reaching them drains outwards rather than into the inner leaf.
- Movement joint spacing
- Clay brickwork typically needs movement joints at 10-12 m centres; concrete brickwork at about 6 m, and always at changes of height or material.
- Frost resistance classes
- Bricks are classed F0, F1 or F2 for frost resistance; F2 is required for severe exposure and for brickwork below DPC.
- Brick compressive strength class
- Bricks are designated by strength in N/mm2 (e.g. 10, 20, 30); the class must suit the structural and exposure requirements of the wall.
- Cavity width
- The clear cavity between leaves is commonly 50-100 mm; it must be kept clear of mortar droppings to preserve thermal and weather performance.
- Cavity board
- A board or batten pulled up the cavity as work proceeds to catch mortar droppings and stop them bridging the cavity and blocking weep holes.
- Weep holes
- Open vertical joints left in the outer leaf above flashings and DPCs, typically at 900 mm centres, to allow water to drain from the cavity.
- Half-brick lap
- The minimum overlap between bricks in a half-brick wall is a quarter brick; in a one-brick wall a quarter brick lap is also required for bonding.
- Quoin
- The corner brickwork of a wall, built with alternating headers and stretchers to tie the two faces and provide a true, plumb corner.
- Range work
- Brickwork built between two profiles or corner quoins, with a line strained between them to keep courses straight and level.
- Profiles
- Timber or metal frames set at corners showing the line and level of each course, used to stretch the building line for accurate range work.
- Bed joint thickness
- Standard bed and perp joints are 10 mm; consistent joints control course height and the 75 mm coordinating gauge.
- Perp joint
- The vertical joint between the ends of bricks in a course; it must be fully filled with mortar for strength and weather resistance.
- Tooting
- Filling the vertical perp joint after laying the brick by pressing mortar into the joint from the face, used where full jointing is difficult.
- Sulphate-resisting cement
- A cement used in mortar below DPC or in sulphate-bearing ground to prevent expansion and deterioration of the brickwork.
- Engineering bricks
- Dense, strong, low-absorption bricks (classes A and B) used below DPC, in retaining walls and in severe exposure situations.
- Frog
- The indentation in one bed face of a brick; the frog is laid upwards and filled with mortar to improve the bond and strength of the wall.
- Plumb rule
- A straightedge with a spirit level or plumb line used to check that corners and faces of brickwork are truly vertical.
- Soldier course
- A course of bricks laid on end with the stretcher face showing, commonly used as a decorative course or above openings.
- Lintel bearing
- A lintel should have a minimum bearing of 150 mm on each side of an opening unless designed otherwise, to transfer loads safely.
- Brick bonding at openings
- Bricks around openings must be bonded into the wall, and wall ties or reinforcement provided to control cracking at the corners of the opening.