Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound and pasted together by mortar. The term masonry can also refer to the building units themselves. A person who constructs masonry is called a mason or bricklayer, and these are both classified as construction trades. Masonry is one of the oldest building crafts in the world, and the construction of Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and medieval cathedrals are all examples of masonry.
Masonry consists of building structures from single units that are laid and bound together with mortar. Brick, stone, and concrete blocks are the most common materials used in masonry construction. There are several types of masonry construction, including brick masonry, stone masonry, and concrete masonry. Masonry is a popular construction technique around the world due to its many advantages, such as durability and fire resistance. However, like with any construction method, there are also limitations.
Masonry work involves stacking materials, such as bricks, stone blocks, or concrete blocks, on top of one another to create a structure. The materials used in masonry are heavy and rigid, and therefore subject to cracking. All masonry must be built on stable ground, either soil that hasn’t been disturbed before or fill that’s been mechanically compacted. On top of that stable ground, masonry walls are built on footings, which are concrete structures that spread the weight of the masonry above over a greater area, so it doesn’t sink into the ground unevenly and crack the wall.
The art of masonry originated when early humans sought to supplement their valuable but rare natural caves with artificial caves made from piles of stone. Masonry construction begins with extractive materials, such as clay, sand, gravel, and stone, usually mined from surface pits or quarries. The most widely used rocks are granite, limestone, sandstone, and marble.
In summary, masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering, and it is one of the oldest building crafts in the world. Masonry consists of building structures from single units that are laid and bound together with mortar, and it is a popular construction technique around the world due to its many advantages. Masonry work involves stacking materials on top of one another to create a structure, and it must be built on stable ground to prevent cracking.
