Walls and Brickwork Types

Walls - Functions

• Walls provide support, strength, stability, insulation, fire resistance, weather exclusion, durability, and aesthetics.
• Walls exclude weather elements like rain and wind to provide a barrier and achieve insulation by preventing heat loss or gain to maintain indoor temperatures.
• Fire-resistant walls slow the spread of fire by using materials like concrete, brick, or fire-rated plasterboard.
• Aesthetics of walls, including finishes, colors, textures, and patterns can impact the design's overall visual appeal.

Walls - Types of Brickwork Bonding

• Stretcher bond: Bricks are laid lengthwise with their longer side (stretcher) visible.
• Header bond: Bricks are laid with their shorter side (header) visible.
• English bond: Alternates rows of headers and stretchers, maximizing strength.
• Flemish bond: Alternates headers and stretchers within the same row; offers aesthetic appeal, but less strength compared to English bond.
• Half-brick walls use stretcher bond.
• One-brick walls use English or Flemish bond.
• One-and-a-half-brick walls use English or Flemish bond with added thickness for strength.

Walls - Cavity Wall Construction

• Cavity walls consist of two masonry skins separated by a cavity.
• Cavity ties are positioned horizontally between the inner and outer skins to provide structural stability.
• Insulation placed in the cavity reduces thermal bridging (heat loss) and increases energy efficiency.
• Steel cavity ties are durable and strong but are prone to corrosion without galvanization.
• Plastic ties are lightweight and corrosion-resistant but may not provide the same strength as steel.

Walls - Piers in Brickwork and Blockwork

• Attached piers in brickwork or blockwork provide additional strength, stability, resistance to lateral forces (like wind).
• Piers are bonded to the wall by interlocking bricks or blocks to ensure a solid connection for stability.

Walls - Damp Proof Courses

• Damp proof courses (DPC) prevent moisture rising through walls, protecting against dampness and structural damage.
• DPCs are typically located at ground level in walls, around door and window openings, beneath suspended floors and at abutments between single- and double-story sections.
• DPCs prevent moisture ingress at openings or abutments by creating a horizontal or vertical barrier that blocks capillary action of water.

Walls - Timber Frame Walls

• Timber frame walls consist of external cladding, moisture barriers, insulation, vapour barriers, and internal finishes (for aesthetics).
• External cladding protects the wall against weather damage.
• Moisture barriers prevent water penetration.
• Insulation provides thermal resistance.
• Vapour barriers stop condensation.

Walls - Openings in Walls

• Openings in walls can be made using lintels, arches, cavity closers.
• Thresholds provide a base for openings like doors and windows; Jambs provide vertical support.
• Lintels are horizontal beams supporting loads above an opening.
• Arches efficiently distribute loads around openings.

Walls - Fixing Sheets to Steel Frames

• Galvanized iron, coated steel, and plastic sheets are fixed to small steel-framed buildings using screws, bolts, or clamps that are attached to the steel sections.
• The type of fixing depends on the design and requirements.