STONE MASONRY

STONE MASONRY

The construction of stones bonded together

with mortar is termed as stone masonry where

the stones are available in a abundance in
nature, on cutting and dressing to the proper
shape, they provide an economical material for
the construction of various building
components such as walls, columns, footings,
arches, lintels, beams etc.
 STONE TYPES BASED ON
FORMATION
 Building stone is a natural engineering material.

 Stone is obtained from rock by applying certain disintegration

techniques like manual quarrying and blasting etc:

 Stones obtained from rocks are irregular in shape and size

and thus need proper dressing before using for construction

purpose.
 Based on formation of the parent rock it has 3 types:

-The igneous rocks

-The sedimentary rocks
-The metamorphic rocks
 STONE TYPES BASED ON
FORMATION
 Building stone is a natural engineering material which is obtained

from rock by applying certain disintegration techniques like manual

quarrying, blasting etc:
 Stones obtained from rocks are irregular in shape and size and thus

need proper dressing before using for construction purpose.

 Based on formation of the parent rock it has 3 types;

-The igneous rocks: It is formed by the solidification of molten rock

such as volcanic activity. Eg: Granite
-The sedimentary rocks: It is formed from silt, marine life and rocks
that have been deposited by running water. Eg: Limestone,
Sandstone
-The metamorphic rocks: It is formed when igneous and sedimentary
rocks are changed by pressure, heat or moisture. Eg: Marble, slate
Uses
1) Building foundations, walls, piers, pillars, and

architectural works.

2) Lintels, Beams, Arches, domes etc.,

3) Roofs and Roof coverings.

4) Dams, light houses, monumental structures.

5) Paving jobs
Selection of stone for stone
masonry:
1) Availability

2) Ease of working

3) Appearance

4) Strength and stability

5) Polishing characteristics

6) Economy

7) Durability
on shapes:
Through
Stone
Failure of Stone Masonry:
Definitions
Perpend stone/ Through stone/Tie
stone/Bond stone-
It is a stone that extends through an entire
wall's width, from the outer to the inner wall
to increase its lateral stability.
Coping stone-
A stone that forms the top of a wall or a
building which generally prevents the
rainwater from entering the wall. Generally
used on parapet walls as a weathering
course.

Coping Stones
Definitions
Drip stone - A projecting molded stone having
its under surface throated to prevent rain
water flowing back to the wall.
Jamb- Part of wall which is at the side of an
opening.
Grouting- The process of working out of the
mortar cement slurry over stone or bricks to fill
their joints and cracks etc:
Mouldings – Ornamental features given to the
construction members to improve their
appearance.
Parapet – A low wall constructed around the
terrace of a building having flat roof.
General Principles
The stones to be used for stone masonry
should be hard, tough and durable.
The pressure acting on stones should be
vertical.
The stones should be perfectly dressed as
per the requirements.
The heads and bond stones should not be of
a dumb bell shape.
In order to obtain uniform distribution of load,
under the ends of girders, roof trusses etc
large flat stones should be used
General Principles
The mortar to be used should be good quality and
in the specified faces.
The construction work of stone masonry should
be raised uniformly.
The plumb bob should be used to check the
verticality of erected wall.
The stone masonry section should always be
designed to take compression and not the tensile
stresses.
The masonry work should be properly cured after
the completion of work, for a period of 2 to 3
weeks.
General Principles

As far as possible broken stones or small

stones chips should not be used.
Double scaffolding should be used for
working at higher level.
The masonry hearting should be properly
packed with mortar and chips if necessary
to avoid hallows.
The properly wetted stones should be used
to avoid mortar moisture being sucked.
Laying The
Stone

 Decrease the stone thickness from the bottom to

the top of wall.

 Ensure that the headers in the heart of the wall

are the same size as in the face and extend at
least 12 in (300 mm) into the core or backing.
(Avoid Dumb-bell shaped stones)

Ensure that headers in “walls of 2 feet (600 mm)

or less in thickness” extend entirely through the
wall. The headers shall occupy at least 20 percent
of the face of the wall.
Laying The Stone
 Lay the masonry in roughly leveled courses. Ensure
that the bottom of the foundation is large, with
selected stones.

 Lay the courses with leaning beds parallel to the

natural bed of the material.

 Regularly diminish the thicknesses of the courses, if

varied, from the bottom to the top of the wall. Keep
a surplus supply of stones at the site to select from.

 Before laying the stone in the wall, shape and dress

it so that it will not loosen after it is placed. No
dressing or hammering which will loosen the stone
will be permitted after it is placed.
 Clean each stone and saturate it with water before setting it.
Clean and moisten the bed that will receive it.

 Bed the stones in freshly made mortar with full joints. Carefully
settle the stones in place before the mortar sets.

 Ensure that the joints and beds have an average thickness of not
more than 1 inch. (25 mm).

 Ensure that the vertical joints in each course break with the
adjoining courses at least 6 in. (150 mm).

 Do not place vertical joints directly above or below a header joint.

 If a stone is moved or if the joint is broken after the mortar
has set, take the stone up and thoroughly clean the mortar
from the bed and joints. Reset the stone in fresh mortar.

 Do not lay the masonry in freezing weather or when

the stone contains frost, except with permission
subjected to the required conditions.

 Whenever possible, properly point the face joints before the

mortar sets. If joints cannot be pointed, rake them out to a
depth of 1 in (25 mm) before the mortar sets.

 Do not smear the stone face surfaces with the mortar forced
out of the joints or the mortar used in pointing.
 Thoroughly wet the joints pointed after the stone
is laid with clean water and fill with mortar.

 Drive the mortar into the joints and finish with an

approved pointing tool.

 Keep the wall wet while pointing. In hot or dry

weather, protect the pointed masonry from the
sun and keep it wet for at least three days after
the pointing is finished.

 Do not perform pointing in freezing weather

or when the stone contains frost.

 After the pointing is completed and the mortar is

set, thoroughly clean the walls and leave them in
a neat condition.
Masonry Joints
1) Rubble masonry:

Rubble masonry, also called rubblework,

is the use of undressed, rough stone,
generally in the construction of walls. This
can be further subdivided as uncoursed,
coursed,square, random, dry, polygonal .
 Uncoursed rubble masonry
a) Uncoursed random rubble masonry: This is
the cheapest, roughest and poorest form of
stone masonry. The stones used in this type
of masonry very much vary in their shape and
size and are directly obtained from quarry.
The larger stones are laid first and spaces are
filled up by means of spalls (chips of stone
used for filling hollow spaces in stone
masonry)
- UNCOURSED
 Coursed rubble masonry
 (ii) Coursed rubble
masonry:  It is the
form of masonry which
is commonly adopted
in the construction of
residential buildings
public buildings, piers
and abutments for
ordinary bridges. The
average size of the
stone can be anywhere
between 15cm-45cm.
The thickness of mortar
joints in this type
should not exceed 10
mm.
 Square uncoursed rubble masonry

a) Uncoursed
squared rubble:
In this type the stone
blocks are made
roughly square with
hammer. Generally
the facing stones
are given hammer-
dressed finish.
Larger stones are
used as quoins. A s
far as possible the
use of chips in
bedding is avoided
as shown.
 Square coursed rubble masonry
b) Coursed squared rubble:
In this type of masonry,
stones having straight bed
and sides are used. The
stones are usually squared
and brought to hammer
dressed or straight cut
finish. The stones employed
in each course are of equal
height. The backing and
facing construction should
be carried simultaneously.
In order to avoid thick
mortar joints, small chips
may be used.
 Square rubble built to regular
c) courses
Square rubble built to
regular course:
In this type of stone
masonry, The uniform
height stones are used in
horizontal layers not less
than 13cm in height.
Generally, the stone beds
are hammered or chisel
dressed to a depth of at
least 10cm from the face.
The stones are arranged
in such a manner so that
the vertical joints of two
consecutive curse do not
coincide with each other.
 Polygonal rubble masonry
In this type of masonry the stones are
roughly dressed to an irregular polygonal
shape. The stones should be so arranged
as to avoid long vertical joints in face work
and to break joints as much as possible.
Small stone chips should not be used to
Quoin
support the stones on the s facing as shown

in the figure below.

 Flint rubble masonry
This type of masonry is used in the areas
where the flint stone is available in plenty.
The flint stones varying in thickness from 8
to 15cm and in length from 15 to 30cm are
arranged in the facing in the form of
coursed or uncoursed masonry as shown
below.
Dry rubble masonry

This type of masonry is

used in the construction of
retaining walls pitching
earthen dams and canal
slopes in the form of
random rubble masonry
without any mortar. The
hallow spaces left around
and stones should be
tightly packed with smaller
stone pieces as shown
below.
2) Ashlar Masonry
This type of masonry is built from accurately
dressed stones with uniform and fine joints of
about 3mm thickness by arranging the stone
blocks in various patterns.
The backing of Ashlar masonry walls may be
built of Ashlar masonry or rubble masonry.
The size of stones blocks should be in
proportion to wall thickness.
The Ashlar masonry can be divided as follows:
-Ashlar fine -Ashlar rough
-Ashlar chamfered -Ashlar facing
-Ashlar rock faced - Ashlar block in course
Fine Ashlar Masonry

Ashlar
fine
Ashlar chamfered

Ashlar chamfered
Ashlar rough masonary

Ashlar rock faced masonary

Ashlar Masonry
Facing

Ashlar block in course

Ashlar facing
 Corbel 
Corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or
metal jutting from a wall to carry a weight to
support a structure above it.
 Quoins 
Stones larger than those of which wall is
composed, or better shaped and forming the
corners of walls or door and window opening;
if they project they are described as raised,
and rusticated if having chamfered angles.
 Cornice 
A cornice (from the
Italian cornice meaning "ledge")
is generally any horizontal
decorative molding that crowns a
building or furniture element—
the cornice over a door or
window, for instance, or the
cornice around the top edge of a
pedestal or along the top of an
interior wall.
The function of the projecting
cornice of a building is to throw
rainwater free of the building’s
walls.
CORNICE ON PARAPETS 
SILLS
Sloped Outer
REVEAL

Stone
SILL
 Rubble
Masonr
y Wall

Chamfere
d Quoins
Stone Sill

Edge
Drop
Min 25Cm
Overlap into
the abutting
masonry
Sill as a
Ledge in the
Interior