Masonry facades

Aside from movements created in masonry as a result of external influences such as subsidence, wind load, accidental damage, etc., brickwork is likely to suffer dimensional changes resulting from changes in:

• temperature;
• moisture content (usually bringing about a volume change);
• chemical composition; and
• loading or structural movements.

Different types of brick display different movement characteristics; clay bricks tend to suffer an initial irreversible expansion after laying, while calcium silicate and concrete bricks tend to shrink. Understanding the movement characteristics of different masonry types is essential in diagnosing failure patterns.