Hands on Masonry

Advanced Technology Topics ARCH 7010 Hands on Masonry ___

Masonry Research Booklet

by Mitchell McIntosh - 7695476 Instructor: Ted Landrum University of Manitoba - Faculty of Architecture

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

Section 1: Field Trips Gillis Quarries pg. 3-5 Red River College pg. 6-9 Section 2: Precedent Research Flint House pg. 10-14 Tier Building pg. 15-17 Section 3: Definitions

Section 4: Additional Findings

pg. 18 pg. 19

Bibliography pg. 20

2 Table of Contents

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

FIELD TRIP: GILLIS QUARRIES

Extraction & Cutting -The above images show the typical size of blocks that are extracted and stockpiled at the quarry.

Enough is stockpiled during the warmer months that the quarry pits can be shut down in winter.

Orders for the stone are filled with what has been stored.

-The image at the top right shows the cutting of these blocks into smaller and more workable slabs with a large saw. Water is continuously sprayed onto the saw to prevent it from overheating.

Gillis Quarries 3

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

Profiles -Tyndall stone can be machined into a large variety of shapes and profiles. The curved profiles shown above exhibited linear surface striations from a carving bit. These striations would be polished away to create a smooth finished surface (rubbed). The large angular blocks on the bottom right are coping stones for the top of a retaining wall. A drip edge is cut into the underside of the stone to prevent water from entering the wall.

4 Gillis Quarries

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

Bush Hammer Finish

Sandblasted Finish

-The bush hammer (top left) is used to give the stone a slightly textured, even finish. This can be done with large machines or hand-held tools.

-Sandblasting the stone gives some of its features a slight relief. The fossils embedded in the surface can be accentuated greatly through this process.

*Other finish options include: rubbed, sawn, pointed, split, and rustic.

Gillis Quarries 5

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

FIELD TRIP: RED RIVER COLLEGE

Masonry Workshop Space -The workshop is lined with some complex demonstrations of the infinite possibilities of masonry.

The best studends each year are allowed to contribute something new to this architectural tapestry.

6 Red River College

Load-Bearing Brick Practice Wall -Students in the masonry program practice laying bricks using a mortar mixture without portland cement, keeping the mortar from hardening. This wall is an example of how load-bearing masonry walls were constructed before veneer systems became popularized.

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

Shelf Angle + Bracket Connection -Used to support exterior masonry walls.

-Transfers load of brick or stone veneer onto main structure.

-Commonly welded onto the structure with steel plates. This tye is pinned/bolted.

-Anchor hole is diagonal to resist twisting.

Masonry Ties -New design that fits more robustly in the masonry wall, preventing damage or displacement.

-Small holes hold the v-shaped tie that is inserted between brick courses.

-Large holes minimize thermal bridging.

Various Brick Types & Colours

Red River College 7

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

Building a Double Header Segmental Arch -The process of building the arch began with arranging the bricks into the anticipated formation on the ground, and then marking the mortar spacing on the wood formwork with a sharpie. We then “buttered� the top and bottom of the bricks before carefully placing them in header position, starting from both ends and working towards the centre.

-

h

p1

p2

C

Drawing an Arch - Geometric Construction -This image illustrates the process of drawing an arch without calculations. The two end points (p1, p2) are drawn with a straight rule, and then a line is drawn between them. Next, the height (h) of the arch is drawn from the centre point, and then circles are traced with a line from each end point (p1, p2) to the centre. A third circle of equal radius is drawn around the top point of the height line, and the intersections with the previous two circles are connected with two lines, identifying the centre point (C) of the final circle that is traced through the three original points (p1,p2,h), revealing the curve of the arch.

8 Red River College

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

Cavity Wall

Tie Bracket Location

-We were shown a mockup version of a masonry cavity wall assembly in the workshop. This wall system operates by circulating water and air through a gap between the masonry veneer and the insulation/structural layer. This process is advantageous for the lifespan of a building, allowing it to “breathe” in a sense. While 1” is often reccomended for air space width, 2” or more is actually better, because it less likely to be clogged by mortar droppings. Weep holes need to be created at the bottom of the wall for drainage purposes.

-Here you can see one of the more recent masonry tie designs in its intended position. In the previous image one of the old ties is being demonstrated for its flaws. Unlike the old tie design, which is simply placed on a bed of mortar and prone to displacement, the new design sits securely in the vertical mortar joint of the CMU wall, and hooks onto the edge.

-The air space has a small insulating value, and is included in the overall calculation of the wall’s R-value.

Red River College 9

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

C

A

A Main Residence B Studio Annex C Pond

B

i. Site Plan. [1] 10 Flint House

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

PRECEDENT RESEARCH: FLINT HOUSE

Architect: Skene Catling de la Peña Year: 2015

ii. Exterior - Full View. [2] -The Flint House house is located in Buckinghamshire, UK, which exists on a chalk seam that extends from the south coast of Britain to Norfolk.

It was designed for Lord Jacob Rothschild, and occupies a small oasis site of natural vegetation that is surrounded by agricultural land. It’s form is broken up into two stepped, wedge-shaped buildings that follow the profile of the nearby trees. The larger building is the main residence, and the smaller is a studio annex that is occasionally used by resident artists (i).

-The idea for the house (allegedly) emerged when one of the architects, Charlotte Skene Catling, was visiting the site and noticed flint nodules that had been pulled up to the surface by farm plows. Flint is a form of quartz that is related to obsidian, and has been used as a building material since ancient times (Roman forts and Norman churches) due to its availability and strength. Flint was formed under water and is found as a series of lumpy nodules that are clustered together. It has a glassy surface texture mixed with rougher, light areas, and has varied colours (v).

-The architects envisioned the house’s facade as mirroring of the sedimentary geological layers that exist below the surface of the site, as well as a reflection of the rawness of the tilled fields that are nearby. Since flint is not commonly used as a building material in contemporary times, the architects had to consult with a team of knowledgeable craftsmen led by David Smith of the Flintman Company.

iii. Elevation Drawing. [3] Flint House 11

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

iv. Exterior flint masonry detail. [4] The gap between the flint nodules is filled with black mortar and shards of flint called “gallets.�

v. Raw flint samples. [5] 12 Flint House

vi. Masonry elevation drawing illustrating the gradient pattern. [6]

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

vii. Exterior perspective. [7] -The flint used in the project was hand-picked and sourced from five different quarries. David Smith, in conversation with Vogue Magazine remarked that the house was the most ambitious flint masonry project to be attempted since Edwardian times, and that the project is unusual in that it makes use of six different techniques to create the gradient effect on the exterior of the building (vi, vii).¹ -“The lowest courses are random rough-hewn black bedrock flint, crudely split as if coming from a fissure in the ground, with large gallets (flakes of flint reminiscent of Neolithic tools) set end on in black mortar joints. Gallets are used “to keep the building alive,” says Smith, “moving like a shoal of fish.” As the house rises, the walls become lighter and smoother, fading through finely snapped grays into layers of white chalk blocks at the top, where it blends into the sky. According to Smith, “the hardest part to achieve was the smooth transition from style to style,” a fading effect echoed in the house’s terrazzo roof.”² - Vogue Interview -Besides the geological features of the landscape, Skene Catling was also interested in the peculiarity of the landscape around the house, especially the pond that is filled by water draining from the slopes of the bowl-shaped site. The water from this pond enters the house through a narrow stream, which in combination with the flint walls on the interior creates a kind of cave-like grotto space. The walls on the interior of this watery space are treated with the raw nodules of flint as they are dug up from the ground. The white colouration is a result of the chalk coating. ¹ Withers, Jane. “Inside Lord Jacob Rothschild’s Monolithic English Country Estate.” Vogue. Janurary 29th, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.vogue. com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate ² Ibid.

Flint House 13

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

viii. Top: Interior “grotto” with walls of raw, unprocessed flint. [8] viv. Bottom: Exterior wall detail. [9]

14 Flint House

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

PRECEDENT RESEARCH: TIER BUILDING

On Campus Research Expedition

Tyndall Exterior Wall - Split Finish

Tyndall Exterior Wall - Rubbed Finish

Granite Exterior Stair Cap

Tyndall Interior Wall - Sawn Finish Tier building charcoal rubbing

Tier Building 15

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

Split and rubbed random ashlar facade detail.

Front facade.

Corner quoins.

16 Tier Building

Split facade stone w/ hand for scale.

Rubbed stone segmental arch.

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

Polished oriel window base.

South tower Tier building original drawings by Arthur A. Stoughton, 1930.

Tier Building 17

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

MASONRY TERMS 01 Salvaged Brick -Brick that is taken and repurposed from demolished buildings. Usually features a distressed surface appearance with non-uniform colour and surface qualities.

02 Stretcher Brick -A brick laid horizontally, with its narrowest side facing outward.

03 Bond Pattern -The particular pattern that a series of bricks are laid in. Example bond patterns include: running, common, english, flemish, stack, etc.

04 Cut Brick, or Bat -Brick can be cut in various ways to create a particular fit. Examples include: quarter bat, three quarter bat, queen closer, etc. A full brick is called a “bat.�

05 Cavity Wall -A wall system that operates by circulating water and air through a gap between the masonry veneer and the insulation/structural layer 06 Flat, or Jack, Arch -An arch made of brick with a flat intrados and extrados (inner and outer curve in an arch). Easier to put into place than a solid lintel because all of the materials can be carried and constructed in place by a single mason. Many examples of this type of arch on campus buildings from the 1913 Agricultural College construction.

07 Admixture -Chemical ingredients added to masonry and concrete to reduce moisture penetration, drying time, colour, air retention, etc.

08 Back-Up Masonry -Masonry that serves a structural purpose behind an exterior veneer.

09 Smooth Face (vs. Split Face) -Smooth face masonry is cast so that the finish face is smooth in appearance. Split face is made as a large block and then broken in two pieces with a hydraulic press, leaving a rough surface that is different on every block.

10 Reglet, or Raggle -A metal insert that is used to hold the flashing in place.

11 Flashing -A thin strip of weatherproofing material intended to prevent the passage of water into a structure. Before sheet materials became available for construction, stones would be cut and placed to shed water away from the structure.

12 Plumb Bob -A cone-shaped device made of lead or another heavy material that is used to determine the location of a plumb line.

13 Bush Hammered Finish -A technique used to give stone a slightly textured, even finish. This can be done with large machines or hand-held tools.

14 Fire-Resistant -Fire-resistant masonry is used in applications where the masonry me be exposed to heat repeatedly or for extended periods of time, such as in fireplaces or furnaces. In brick construction fire-resistance is usually achieved by using denser, low-porosity bricks.

15 bioMASON Bacteria Bricks -Bricks created with microorganisms. The creators wanted to come up with a product that would not contain as much embodied energy, and that would not use diminishing natural resources such as those used in glass, concrete, steel, and wood. It takes less than 5 days to produce a pre-cast material. The inputs for the biocement are abundant and available globally, and can be sourced from waste.

18 Definitions

Research Booklet Submission - Hands on Masonry

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS: DAIRY HOUSE - GLASS BLOCK MASONRY

Architect: Skene Catling de la PeĂąa Year: 2008

Top left: House exterior and entrance. Top right: Glass blocks sandwiched between wood, interior side. Bottom right: [10,11,12]

-Located in Somerset, UK, this project was a conversion of an old dairy structure into a private residence.

-The adaptive re-use intervention makes use of stacked walls of thin blocks of laminated float glass to bring light into the interior of the house. The effect is that the very solid facade appears extremely light and porous.

-The glass blocks are sandwhiched in between dried timber planks harvested from the estate. Like the planks, the glass blocks are rough on the exterior and smooth on the interior. They also diminish in height at each block level from the bottom of the wall to the top.

-The glass blocks are placed on top of rubber gaskets that sit on the timber. A foam seal is also placed on the surface of the blocks to act as a movement joint and weather seal. Clear silicone acts as the final weather seal.

Additional Findings 19

Hands on Masonry - Research Booklet Submission

BIBLIOGRAPHY Images: [1] Flint House site plan. Digital Image. Archdaily. August, 2015. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.archdaily. com/771369/flint-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena [2] Halard, Francois. Flint house exterior view. Digital Image. Vogue. Janurary, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http:// www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate [3] Flint House elevation drawing. Digital Image. Archdaily. August, 2015. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.archdaily. com/771369/flint-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena [4] Halard, Francois. Exterior flint masonry detail. Digital Image. Vogue. Janurary, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http:// www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate [5] Miorcani flint sample. Digital Image. Wikipedia. July, 2007. Accessed March 29th, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Flint#/media/File:Miorcani_flint.jpg [6] Masonry elevation drawing illustrating the gradient pattern. Digital Image. Archdaily. August, 2015. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.archdaily.com/771369/flint-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena [7] Halard, Francois. Exterior perspective of Flint House. Digital Image. Vogue. Janurary, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate [8] Halard, Francois. Interior “grotto” with walls of raw, unprocessed flint. Digital Image. Vogue. Janurary, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate [9] Halard, Francois. Flint House exterior wall detail. Digital Image. Vogue. Janurary, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate [10] Dairy House exterior and entrance. Digital Image. Archdaily. March 23rd, 2009. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http:// www.archdaily.com/17142/the-dairy-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena [11] Glass blocks sandwiched between wood, interior side. Digital Image. Archdaily. March 23rd, 2009. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.archdaily.com/17142/the-dairy-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena [12] Glass blocks sandwiched between wood, exterior side. Digital Image. Archdaily. March 23rd, 2009. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.archdaily.com/17142/the-dairy-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena Books/Articles: “Flint House / Skene Catling de la Peña.” Archdaily. August 6th, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www. archdaily.com/771369/flint-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena/ “The Dairy House / Skene Catling de la Peña.” Archdaily. March 23rd, 2009. Accessed 17 Apr 2017. http://www.archdaily. com/17142/the-dairy-house-skene-catling-de-la-pena/ Withers, Jane. “Inside Lord Jacob Rothschild’s Monolithic English Country Estate.” Vogue. Janurary 29th, 2016. Accessed March 29th, 2017. http://www.vogue.com/article/lord-jacob-rothschild-english-estate W. P. Campbell, James. Brick: A World History. London: Thames & Hudson, 2003.

Ramcke, Rolf. Zilch, Konrad. Pfeifer, Gunter. Achtziger, Joachim. Masonry Construction Manual. Munich: Birkhauser, 2002

20 Bibliography