What is ashlar masonry?

 

Masonry refers to the mortar-based construction of building components.

Ashlar masonry is a type of stone created by laying highly prepared rocks of the same size, shape, and texture at right angles to one another in cement or lime mortar. The rectangular masonry constructed from ashlar stones has cuboid blocks in horizontal courses or tiers. The masonry is highly robust and sturdy due to the thin, regular, and uniform connections between the stones.

Building with beautifully processed stones requires significant effort and money and takes an extended period. As a result, it is typically saved for imposingly important buildings like cathedrals, defensive walls, castles, and palaces.

 

Ashlar Masonry: History

 

• Since Ashlar Masonry has been used throughout history for a very long time, its beginning is unclear. The seafaring Minoan civilization constructed the Knossos Palace on Crete between 2000 and 1500 BC using ashlar blocks composed of local sandstone and limestone. 
• Later, the Mycenaeans of the Aegean employed it to build walls and citadels.
• The Incan civilization employed Ashlar Masonry in South America’s 15th century to create buildings at Machu Picchu and Cusco. 
• Due to their incredible consistency and accuracy, it must have taken months to build even one piece of the walls. 
• They remain straight and unaltered now despite the passage of time and earthquakes.

 

Ashlar Masonry: Characteristics

 

• The courses are of the same height in ashlar masonry.
• Its joints are all uniformly thick, thin, and regular.
• It is typically utilized to build massive constructions, architectural structures, high piers, and bridge abutments.

 

Ashlar Masonry: Types

 

Ashlar masonry varieties are determined by how the stones are arranged, whether they are laid in regular courses with continuous joints or broken courses, their height, length within the layer, etc. There are six main categories for this masonry.

 

Ashlar fine tooled masonry

 

• The best stone masonry work can be found in this category.
• It is cut to the standard and necessary size and form, with all sides being rectangular to ensure that each stone provides precisely horizontal and vertical couplings with neighboring stones.
• Carefully removing all waviness and unevenness from the beds, joints, and faces results in a surface that is reasonably smooth.
• A 600 mm long straight edge on the surface is never farther than 1 mm from any point on the dressed face. In the finished item, the face will be discernible.
• No point on the surface of the top or bed deviates from the straight edge by more than 3 mm.
• There are no side surfaces that make up the vertical joints where a point is dropped from the straight edge by more than 6 mm.
• Furthermore, the surfaces of the internal joints are prepared such that no portion of the surface is farther from the straight edge than 10 mm.
• Every corner and edge visible in the finished position is maintained as square and free of chippings. Courses are often less than 15 cm thick. The stone’s breadth is never kept below its height.
• Courses of stretchers and headers are arranged alternately; courses of stretchers and headers may also be arranged alternately or in accordance with other directions.
• The mortar joint is thin and sharply pointed.

 

Rough tooled Ashlar Masonry (Bastard Ashlar)

 

• The exposed face of each stone block is treated by rough tooling in this style of masonry, while the beds and sides are delicately chiseled and dressed much like ashlar fine.
• Each stone’s rough-dressed face is surrounded by a strip about 25 mm broad and was created with a chisel.
• When checked with a straight edge 600 mm long, any point on the rough-tooled face should not vary by more than 3 mm in any direction.
• Bastard masonry is another name for this kind of construction.
• Like fine-dressed ashlar, the size, angles, edges, etc., are kept proportionally.
• The mortar joint’s thickness should not exceed 6 mm.

 

Ashlar Rock Or Quarry Faced

 

• The exposed surface of the stone in this form of masonry is left undressed to provide rock facing. However, each stone’s visible face is surrounded by a roughly 25 mm broad strip and was cut with a chisel.
• Light hammering removes any protrusion on the exposed face (sometimes referred to as bushings) that are taller than 80 mm. However, every stone block is kept by its original dimensions and is accurately rectangular with straight side faces and beds.
• This kind of building creates the impression that it is vast. Each block can range in height from 15 to 30 cm. The mortar joint can have a thickness of up to 10 mm.

 

Ashlar Chamfered Masonry

 

• It is a unique type of rock-faced brickwork where the strip surrounding the exposed face is beveled or chamfered at a 45-degree angle using a chisel to a depth of 25 mm.
• As a result, a groove develops between neighboring stone pieces.
• Another 15 cm strip is prepared with a chisel around this beveled strip. 
• Except for removing oversized bushings with 80 mm or more projections using a hammer, the area inside this strip is kept rock-faced.

 

Ashlar Block in course Masonry

 

• This kind of masonry lies in the middle between ashlar and rubble masonry.
• Although it is not required to maintain the same height for all courses, each stone’s face is hammer-dressed, and blocks are always the same height.
• As opposed to ashlar masonry, the vertical joints are not as straight and precise.
• Course depths can range from 15 to 30 cm.
• This kind of brickwork is used for large-scale projects like:
  • Retention walls
  • Bridges

 

Ashlar Facing

 

• For a better aesthetic, ashlar face masonry is added to brick or concrete block masonry.
• Each block’s sides and bedding are appropriately prepared to give them their correct form.
• The stones have tough toledo and chamfered surfaces that are exposed. The wall’s foundation may be built using brick masonry.

 

Ashlar Masonry: Benefits

 

1. Rain, snow, and other exterior weather conditions will not impact the stonework of ashlar masonry.
2. This brickwork will not shatter, warp, swell, or bend with time.
3. The oldest structures constructed with this brickwork are still in fine shape since it has a lengthy lifespan.
4. Stone is the only substance that is as robust, weatherproof, and long-lasting.
5. It creates buildings with great strength.
6. There are several possible uses for this stonework in terms of visual appeal.

 

Ashlar Masonry: Uses

 

1. Architectural work includes building foundations, walls, piers, and pillars.
2. Cladding functions
3. Pavement work
4. Roofing materials
5. Blackboards, electrical switch buildings, and railroads.
6. Arches, domes, lintels, and more.

 

Ashlar Masonry: Disadvantages

 

• Handling: Handling elements in ashlar masonry might be complex because of the stones’ thickness and weight, and accidents can arise quickly. As a result, the security of the workers, the materials used, and even the equipment itself must receive more consideration.

 

• Weight: The massive stones in ashlar masonry result in thick walls. However, it has a negative effect since it narrows the floor spacing. In addition, it makes handling these stones rather challenging.

 

• Need For skilled workers: It calls for a high level of attention. Hence the workers must be skilled. So it is because there is little to no opportunity for error and once changes have been made, they cannot be readily reversed, repaired, or even relocated. Additionally, careful installation is required for the residents’ safety.

 

• Time-consuming: It takes a long time for the construction to be completed with masonry. The first reason is that the stones are moved carefully out of prudence. The construction process itself will need more time than other construction techniques.

 

• Transportation: Because most stones are discovered in quarries, transportation of these stones to the locations is essential. However, due to the weight of the rocks, this is, therefore, more expensive.

 

• Cost of construction: With the need for expert workers, the pricey equipment to be utilized, and several other expenses, ashlar masonry building prices are a little higher.

 

Conclusion

As the building industry revamps its construction approach, the importance of stone masonry is becoming increasingly apparent. Stone masonry has been around for thousands of years, but it’s only recently gained popularity in the real estate industry. It is simple: stone masonry offers several advantages over wood-frame construction, including higher-quality finishes and superior insulation capabilities.

In addition to being more durable, stone masonry can provide better structural integrity than wood-framed structures. As a result, it can also be a cost-effective alternative to steel and concrete when building large projects.

Stone masonry is often used in residential construction because of this versatility; however, there are many other reasons why it makes sense for commercial properties too! If you’re looking at investing in property that tenants or investors will use, consider supporting in ashlar stone masonry instead of traditional mass-produced lumber frames or prefabricated panels.

 

FAQs

What is the stone requirement in ashlar masonry?

The stone used to build masonry must be solid, resilient, robust, and free from faults like cavities, fractures, flaws like sand holes, veins, patches of soft or loose material, etc.

What stone size should be used in ashlar masonry?

Stones often utilized in masonry should be manageable to lift and set by hand. The stone's length cannot be more than three times its height, and its base's width cannot be more than three-fourths of the wall's thickness, which must be at least 15 cm. The stone's maximum height is 30 cm.

What should be the duration of curing performed in ashlar masonry?

For a minimum of seven days, the masonry work in cement or composite mortar must be continuously moist. The curing procedure must begin two days after the brickwork is laid and must last for at least seven days in the case of masonry using fat lime mortar.