Mortar jointIn masonry, mortar joints are the spaces between bricks, concrete blocks, or glass blocks, that are filled with mortar or grout. If the surface of the masonry remains unplastered, the joints contribute significantly to the appearance of the masonry. Mortar joints can be made in a series of different fashions, but the most common ones are raked, grapevine, extruded, concave, V, struck, flush, weathered and beaded.
BrickA brick is a type of building material used to build walls, pavements, and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term brick denotes a unit primarily composed of clay, but it is now also used informally to denote building units made of other materials or other chemically cured construction blocks. Bricks can be joined using mortar, adhesives or by interlocking.
Compressive strengthIn mechanics, compressive strength (or compression strength) is the capacity of a material or structure to withstand loads tending to reduce size (compression). It is opposed to tensile strength, which withstands loads tending to elongate, resisting tension (being pulled apart). In the study of strength of materials, compressive strength, tensile strength, and shear strength can be analyzed independently.
Portland cementPortland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th century by Joseph Aspdin, and is usually made from limestone.
TuckpointingTuckpointing is a way of using two contrasting colours of mortar in the mortar joints of brickwork, with one colour matching the bricks themselves to give an artificial impression that very fine joints have been made.
LimestoneType of sedimentary rockLimestone is a type of carbonatesedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the mineralscalcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonateCaCO3. Limestone forms when these minerals precipitate out of water containing dissolved calcium.
MasonryMasonry is the craft of building a structure with stone, brick, concrete, or similar material, including mortar plastering, which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar. The term masonry can also refer to the building units (stones, bricks, concrete blocks, etc.) themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks and building stone; rocks such as granite, marble, and limestone; cast stone, concrete blocks, glass blocks, and adobe.
SpallationSpallation is a process in which fragments of material (spall) are ejected from a body due to impact or stress. In the context of impact mechanics it describes ejection of material from a target during impact by a projectile. In planetary physics, spallation describes meteoritic impacts on a planetary surface and the effects of stellar winds and cosmic rays on planetary atmospheres and surfaces.
WeatheringWeathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs in situ (on-site, with little or no movement), and so is distinct from erosion, which involves the transport of rocks and minerals by agents such as water, ice, snow, wind, waves and gravity. Weathering processes are either physical or chemical.
SynonymA synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that has a similar or identical meaning to another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in English, words like begin, start, commence, and initiate are synonyms: they are synonymous. The standard test for synonymy is substitution: one form can be used interchangeably without changing the meaning of the sentence.
Frost weatheringFrost weathering is a collective term for several mechanical weathering processes induced by stresses created by the freezing of water into ice. The term serves as an umbrella term for a variety of processes, such as frost shattering, frost wedging, and cryofracturing. The process may act on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, from minutes to years and from dislodging mineral grains to fracturing boulders.
Thermal expansionTendency of matter to change volume in response to a change in temperature Expansion joint in a road bridge used to avoid damage from thermal expansion.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.