Stone Masonry Bergen County

Stone masonry is a type of building masonry construction that uses stones and mortar. This construction technique is used for building foundations, floors, retaining walls, arches, walls and columns. The stones used for masonry construction are natural rocks. These natural rocks are cut and dressed into proper shape in order to use it in masonry construction. Stones are one of the most durable and strong building materials.

Stones

The stones used for masonry construction must be hard, tough and free from cracks, sand holes, and cavities. The selection of stone for particular work is dependent on the availability of the stone. The common stones used for masonry construction are limestone, sandstone, granite, marble, laterite, etc.

Mortar

The binding material used for masonry construction is the mortar. Cement or lime with sand and water are the mix for masonry mortar. The mix formed needs to be uniform in nature. The two main factors affecting the selection of mortar for masonry are strength required and color of the stone.

Classification of Stone Masonry

The two main classifications of Stone Masonry are Rubble Masonry or Ashlar Masonry.

Rubble Masonry

This is the stone masonry type where stones employed are either undressed or roughly dressed. These masonry constructions do not have a uniform thickness. The strength of the rubble masonry is dependent on the quality of mortar used. Proper filling of mortar between the stone spaces and joints.

Coursed rubble masonry, the stones in a particular course are in equal heights. The stones hence used possess different sizes. In this type, all the courses do not have same height. This type is commonly employed in the construction of public buildings, abutments, residential buildings and piers of ordinary bridges. Uncoursed rubble masonry is the cheapest and roughest form of stone masonry construction. These construction use stones of varied shape and size. The stones are directly taken from the quarry called as undressed stone blocks. Initially larger stones are laid first. The spaces between them are filled with spalls or sneeks. Dry rubble masonry construction performed without the use of mortar. Small spaces are filled with smaller stone pieces. It is used in pitching the earthen dams and the canal slopes.

Ashlar Masonry

Ashlar masonry is constructed using accurately dressed stones that possess uniform and fine joints. The thickness of the joints ranges about 3mm which is arranged in various patterns. The size of the stone blocks must be in proportion with the thickness of the walls. In ashlar fine masonry construction, each stone is cut into uniform size and shape, almost rectangular in shape. This shape hence provides perfect horizontal and vertical joints with the adjacent stones.

An ashlar fine masonry construction is very costly. In contrast, Ashlar rough masonry has sides which are finely chisel-dressed. The face of the stones is made rough by means of tools. Around the perimeter of the rough dressed face of each stone, a strip of 25mm width is provided. Ashlar chamfered masonry is a strip with the sides chamfered or beveled at an angle of 45 degrees by means of a chisel at a depth of 25mm.