As an economical alternative, a cast concrete also known by other names such as concrete blocks, foundation blocks, and cement blocks can be acquired at a much lower price. It is now the standard material used in a wide variety of masonry applications. As such, concrete masonry can be simply described as masonry work that makes use of cast concrete blocks instead of the traditional cut stone blocks.

Different Types Concrete Blocks

To meet the demands of different industrial applications, the regular concrete block comes in many different sizes. In the United States, perhaps the most commonly used is the one that measures 16×8×8 inches. But this is only the advertised measurement. It is in fact smaller by 3/8 inches. This is an allowance to allow mortar joints.

Also, concrete blocks can be made of different components. Each one also possesses a different level of strength and durability. For example, high density blocks are made from a mixture of crushed gravel and sand. As for the low density variants, these are typically made of industrial wastes. One example is the cinder block made of ashes.

Different Applications

Concrete masonry has a wide range of industrial applications. For tall buildings, walls made of concrete blocks are preferred because these can possess considerable strength of structure without being too thick. The concrete block is advantageous in this aspect when compared traditional masonry which uses blocks of stones or bricks.

Also, concrete blocks are ideal for use on top floors. In which case, lightweight concrete blocks may be used. This is advantageous because traditional blocks made of cut stones can be pretty heavy. If these are used, they can strain the lower floor levels with too much mass. The structure will be unstable and potentially dangerous.

Concrete masonry is also ideal for regular residential homes. It provides an economical solution that is not as expensive as traditional masonry. Moreover, the hollow structure of a concrete block is ideal for structures inhabited by people. This is because a hollow block possesses good insulation properties.

Strength Of Structure

Alright, so it is the more economical choice in masonry right? But how about the strength, is it still up to the task? As you know, it is quite common that cheaper alternatives are also less durable and less durable. Is this also true for concrete masonry?

Well, it is not necessarily the case. Concrete masonry is widely used worldwide and the strength it provides on structures is commendable. In fact, depending on the type of concrete block used, a wall or floor made with concrete blocks can withstand 1,000 up to 5,000 psi.

Therefore, concrete masonry can safely be called the modern version of the traditional one. It is still up to the task when it comes to strength and it is economical as well.

But let us talk about masonry, the long-enduring art, as it is in today’s modern times. How deeply has it penetrated the lives of people? And what many varied uses has it found in modern applications? In this article, you will learn how masonry is still one of the most in-demand professions of all time.

Walls

What structure would not have one? Even open design buildings will have some kind of foundation. Today, the towering walls of large building and its humble version in residential homes are mostly the work of masons. Even if not done by a real mason, you can still call the work as ‘masonry’. In any case, the mason would use blocks which can be a cut natural stone (granite, travertine, marble) or a man-made block (clay bricks, mixed marble bits).

Floors

Masons are also responsible for the making of floors in different architectural structures. After the foundation has been set and the base has been flattened and compacted, the mason would pour a workable paste called mortar over the surface and place blocks of stone tiles to cover the entire floor area. The choice of materials can be varied from black granite tiles, white marble tiles, blocks of wood, and many others. But this kind of work is not only found indoors. Masons can also apply the same technique when making roads. If you have been to Rome and seen the ancient roads made of stone blocks, those are the work of a mason.

Home Additions

Masonry is not only used in construction sites where fresh new structures are built. You can also find masonry work in home additions. For example, a family may want to add a new fireplace in their house. Since a fireplace is typically made of bricks or blocks of stone, a mason is often hired to do the job. In fact, there are brickmasons that specialize in these kinds of work.

Interior Design

Masonry is not just all about building of walls, floors, roads, and other large structures. Although it is typically a job that makes things of structural strength, it can also be purely aesthetic in nature. For instance, a mason may be hired to place stone blocks over an existing wall in order to make it look more attractive.

Stone Cutting

Masonry uses either a natural block or a man-made block. And although these can be made in factories or by typical workers, it is more preferable if they are made by a mason. As such, masons themselves sometimes make their own materials. They can work on granites, travertine, marbles, and they can also make clay bricks.

Masonry is thousand year old profession. However, not much has changed in the selection of tools and equipments used. There are however some additions into the list. Masons today enjoy greater efficiency at work thanks to these modern tools. And to familiarize with them, both the old and modern tools, here is a list of the basic tools that a mason uses:

Trowel

The trowel’s primary use in masonry is for applying or loading mortar over pieces of bricks or stone blocks. You may notice however that trowels exists in different sizes and shapes. Typically, the bigger ones are used for leveling surfaces after mortar has been loaded. Medium-sized ones are for general use and loading of mortar. And the smaller ones are used for precision work such as filling gaps with additional mortar.

Chisel

The chisel has various uses in masonry. Bigger ones can be used to correct the shape of blocks by scraping off uneven edges or surfaces. And together with the mashing hammer, it can also be used to cut blocks in half. It is also used to scrape a line along blocks so that they can be cut with precision.

Mason’s Hammer

The mason’s hammer is one versatile tool. Although there is a proper way to use it, a mason can use his imagination to improvise with this tool. One end of it is a flat-surfaced and is used for chipping off blocks. First, the mason scrapes off a line using the chisel-end, and carefully hammers the block to make a clean cut. When needed, it can also be used for nailing.

Mashing Hammer

The mashing hammer provides more impact power than the mason’s hammer. If there are still remains of a previous structure at the work area, like blocks of concrete for example, the mashing hammer can be used to destroy them. For bigger structures however, a bigger demolishing tool should be used. Also, this tool can be used together with the chisel to cut bricks and tiles.

Masonry Power Saw

In some cases, particularly when building larger structures, bigger and heavier pieces of bricks may be used. In which cases, a regular chisel and hammer combo will not be enough to cut the bricks when necessary. Instead, a more powerful tool, the masonry power saw, is used. There are two types which you can choose from: the handheld saw and the table saw.

Levels

These are used for fine-tuning the straightness of the masonry work. In flat surfaces for example, a level is used to make sure that the surface measures 0 degrees or 180 degrees with the base (floor). It is also used to make sure that walls are exactly 90% from the floor. There is also a type of level called ‘spirit level’. It has a glass tube which contains either an alcohol or oil. The fluid can determine the flatness of any surface.

Now this makes up the list of some of the most commonly used tools in masonry work. Of course, there are many others that are not included in the list. You can also check the following: jointers, edgers, brushes, steel squares, and groovers.

But as masonry reaches to the heavens with great works such as the Amiens Cathedral and The Great Pyramids, it also reaches back to earth as it is also seen on humble structures such as farm walls, water wells, small bridges, and barns. As you can see, its application is wide and varied.

So how do masons build walls? As seen on the Amiens Cathedral, they use independent structural pieces which can be made of stone, brick, granite, marble, lime stone, and travertine. A mason lines up these independent pieces and glues them together using a strong workable paste called mortar.

During ancient times, mortars used in masonry are typically made of mud and clay. This is first seen on great Egyptian architectural works of art such as The Great Pyramids of Giza. Egyptians also used a so-called gypsum mortar which is a mixture of plaster and sand. Later in history, another form of mortar called lime mortar is used. This one found many applications on the great cathedrals of France and Rome. Today, modern masonry structures typically use cement or a mixture of sand.

But a big part of masonry is the selection of the independent stone pieces. Cutting stones to meet exact measurements can be a tough job. So later in history, particularly in Greece and also today, a less labor intensive choice of material was put into use. Examples include concrete blocks and clay bricks.

With all of that said, you might begin to wonder: how strong is a masonry structure? Well, it all depends on the technique used, materials used, and the skill of the mason. As seen on great cathedrals, castles, and towering stone walls, there is testimony that masonry produces formidably strong buildings.

In fact, buildings made with masonry can last a good 500 years and perhaps still stand even after that. A great many old castles, palaces, and cathedrals made with masonry still stand today even after hundreds of years, although some of them had to be reinforced. But compared with the 30 to 100 years durable life expectancy of modern steel or concrete structures, masonry is at the top of the game.

Also, masonry structures are not only strong against the tests of time. They are also formidably strong against nature’s destructive forces such as hurricanes and tornadoes. These stone walls can also resist projectiles. And although nobody wants to expect a canon ball, it is very useful against flying debris brought about by hurricanes. But come to think of it, this might be the reason why most castles prefer masonry. After all, sieges during the time included the use of stone catapults.