F Masonry

F1 BRICK/BLOCK WALLING
F10 Brick/Block walling
F11 Glass block walling
F12 Terracotta/Faience Walling/Dressings
F13 Unfired clay brick/Block walling
F2 STONE WALLING
F20 Natural Stone Rubble walling
F21 Natural Stone/Ashlar walling/dressings
F22 Cast Stone walling/dressings
F3 MASONRY ACCESSORIES
F30 Accessories/Sundry items for Brick/Block/Stone walling
F31 Precast Concrete Sills/Lintels/Copings/Features
F5 BALE WALLING
F50 trawbale walling

F10 Brick/Block walling

CONSIDER:
• Surface mount conduits, or run wiring in surface mounted skirtings/dados, etc.
• Perforated bricks and blocks which use less energy to ‘cook’, and are lightweight to transport and handling.
• Make door openings block multiple widths and heights.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.
• Start full course of blocks on floors.

CLAY BRICKS:
• In the UK we make a further 3 million bricks each year.
• Fletton commons which uses gasses from clay to fuel the kilns.

UNFIRED CLAY BRICKS/BLOCKS
• Use unfired clay blocks for walls, (low energy use in production).

BLOCKS
• Use non-porous blocks to make air tight walls.
• Use blocks with high percentage of recycled aggregate.
• Use double skins to make up thick walls observing 20 kg maximum for lifting.
• There are cement/concrete block manufacturers that use GGBS and/or PFA cement substitution.
• There are cement/concrete block manufacturers that use recycled glass, china clay, slate and other secondary aggregates substitution.

• For an assessment of environmental impacts see the GreenSpec guides to Bricks and Blocks.

DESIGN FOR DEMOUNTABILITY:
• Thick blockwork walls used with external insulated render could be laid in lime mortar to encourage the possibility to reuse them at the end of the buildings life.
• Site walls made of solid brickwork could be laid in lime mortar to encourage reuse of bricks.

AVOID:
• Cement/concrete based blockwork generates high levels of CO₂ in cement production See E10.
• Chasing blockwork to run buried conduits, a very dirty job making the building a no go areas whilst in progress.
• Filling conduit chases and using cement based render.
• Cutting bricks and blocks design walls and openings to co-ordinate with unit sizes.

F11 Glass Block walling

CONSIDER:
• Use in internal walls to allow passage of sunlight and daylight avoiding some artificial lighting .

RECYCLING:
• Specify blocks with recycled glass content.

AVOID:
• Use in external walls since poor thermal insulation performance.

F12 Terracotta/Faience Walling/Dressings

CONSIDER:
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with block modules.
• Make door openings to unit multiple widths.

RECYCLING:
• LECA Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate in filler materials.

RECLAIM AND REUSE:
• Use reclaimed terracotta and faience blocks and dressings - can be found on Salvo.

F13 Unfired Clay Brick/Block walling

CONSIDER:
• Unfired Clay is one of the earliest used basic building materials but is now recognised as being a thoroughly modern and convenient building material with outstanding natural properties.
• It has good acoustic properties and can help regulate temperature and humidity, making them ideal for ‘breathing’ constructions.
• Typically a unfired clay brick wall is used as a partition wall and is built using clay mortar before being covered with a clay or lime plaster.
• Use for walls, (low energy use in production).
• Perforated bricks and blocks which take less time to dry.
• Use non-porous blocks to make air tight walls.
• Use for thermal mass.
• Use for acoustic mass.
• Use to absorb electromagnetic waves.
• Use to regulate moisture and smells.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.

AVOID:
Cement/concrete based blockwork generates high levels of CO₂ in cement production.

F20 Natural Stone Rubble walling

CONSIDER:
• Local stone, processed locally.
• Recycled stone from derelict building or walls (taking care to establish ownership).
• Soil for mortar bedding (traditional method needs specialist advice).
• Turf and rubble walling in landscape (welsh traditional boundary wall type).
• Gabion walls as a potential modern cheaper solution to rubble wall.

RECYCLING:
• Roofing slate production generates 100 tonnes for every 1 tonne of slates, much of this is suitable for rubble walls in buildings and landscape.

AVOID:
• Imported stone.
• Stones collected from damaged building or walls (they belong to those building and walls).

F21 Natural Stone/Ashlar Walling/Dressings

CONSIDER:
• Local stone, processed locally.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.
• Make door openings block multiple widths .

RECLAIM AND REUSE:
Reclaimed stone originally laid in lime mortar stone walling
Suppliers: Salvo at Salvoweb.

AVOID:
• Imported stone.

F22 Cast Stone Walling/Dressings

CONSIDER:
• Local stone, processed locally.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.
• Make door openings block multiple widths .

AVOID:
• Imported stone aggregates.

F30 Accessories/Sundry items for Brick/Block/Stone walling

CONSIDER:
• Use stainless steel ties and metalwork in cavities.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.
• Make door openings block multiple widths.
• Use lintels of same height as block courses to avoid cutting and waste.
• Use lintels of length of opening plus one block length, with half a block length bearings.

RECYCLE:
• 90%+ recycled Stainless steel is not made but recycled, ensure all stainless steel scraps are collected and recycled
• See Z11.3

AVOID:
• Arranging small steel wind post columns in thick blockwork walls, causing cutting to web space profile.
• PVC components altogether especially virgin PVC.

F31 Precast Concrete Sills/Lintels/Copings/Features

CONSIDER:
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with brick sizes and blocks modules.
• Make door openings block multiple widths.
• Use lintels of same height as brick, block or stone courses to avoid cutting and waste.
• Use lintels of length of opening plus one block length, with half a block length bearing.

F50 Strawbale walling.

CONSIDER:
• CAT-published design & construction guide available.
• Use specialist designer/contractor.
• There are different methods of construction: e.g. loadbearing or infill to framed structure.
• Use high density packed straw bales (setting on harvester).
• Use locally sourced materials.
• Seasonal supply = seasonal construction or storage.
• Straw, Hemp, and other materials?
• Hygroscopic insulation will regulate moisture.
• Thick insulation reduced heating bills long term.
• Needs weatherproof lid.
• Needs waterproof render coating outside, mineral based.
• Needs clay plaster internally.
• Take care with DPC to avoid trough which will hold water.
• Thick walls need sloping internal jambs to maximise light penetration and minimise contrast glare.
• Rough profiles with chain saw, neat trim with special scissors.
• Use with earth or lime plaster internally and weatherboarding or render externally.
• Co-ordinate window and door opening with bale modules.
• Make door openings bale multiple widths.
• Trimmings from tapered jambs become fuel, cut with chainsaw .