Comparative Perfromance of Masonry Bond Patterns

Abstract

In order to make the houses aesthetically more appealing, different bond patterns are used in bonded masonry. This is mainly done in brick masonry. In some cases, walls are left unplastered to expose the brickwork bonded with different patterns. This paper covers a detailed study on the performance of commonly used bond patterns in Sri Lanka such as English, Flemish and Rat-trap. The main parameters covered are the vertical load carrying capacity and the indoor thermal performance of different bond patterns. The vertical load carrying capacity was assessed by testing wall panels and found that the Flemish bond can give a better carrying capacity. Indoor thermal performance of different bond patterns was assessed by measuring indoor and outdoor temperature using physical models. Rat-trap bond shows better thermal performance compared to the others. With all these findings, now the house builders, architects and engineers can select the masonry bond pattern for their structures with the proper understanding of its performance.