STONE MASONRY
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
INTRODUCTION
Granite, Trap, Basalt,
Quartzite, Limestone,
Sandstone and Laterite
Shallow Foundations
● Stone size: shall not pass through a ring of 15 cm
internal dia and 10cm rectangular slit
● Ht may go upto 30cm
● Length of face stone at base: not< than =to ht and
3 x ht
● Breadth of stone at base: not >than ¾” wall
thickness, not <than ht and at least ¼” of face stone
● Thickness of stone ¼” width
● The masonry work should be properly cured after
the completion of work, for a period of 2 to 3
weeks.
● PCC: 1:4:8, PCC thickness: 100-150mm and
Mortar: 1:6, Max Mortar thickness 25mm
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
LAYING OF STONES
❖ Lay the masonry in roughly leveled
courses. Ensure that the bottom of the
❖ Decrease the stone thickness
foundation is large, with selected stones.
from the bottom to the top of
wall. ❖ Lay the courses with leaning beds parallel
to the natural bed of the material.
❖ Ensure that the headers in the
heart of the wall are the same ❖ Regularly diminish the thicknesses of the
size as in the face and extend at courses, if varied, from the bottom to the
least 12 in (300 mm) into the top of the wall. Keep a surplus supply of
core or backing. (Avoid Dumb- stones at the site to select from.
bell shaped stones) ❖ Before laying the stone in the wall, shape
❖ Ensure that headers in “walls of and dress it so that it will not loosen after
2 feet (600 mm) or less in it is placed. No dressing or hammering
thickness” extend entirely which will loosen the stone will be
through the wall. The headers permitted after it is placed.
shall occupy at least 20 percent ❖ Height of constt in day shall not exceed
of the face of the wall. 1m
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
LAYING OF STONES
❖ If a stone is moved or if the joint is broken
❖ Clean each stone and after the mortar has set, take the stone up and
saturate it with water before setting thoroughly clean the mortar from the bed
it. Clean and moisten the bed that and joints. Reset the stone in fresh mortar.
will receive it.
❖ NOTE: Do not lay the masonry in freezing
❖ Bed the stones in freshly made
weather or when the stone contains frost,
mortar with full joints. Carefully
settle the stones in place before the except with permission subjected to the
mortar sets. required conditions.
❖ Ensure that the joints and beds have ❖ Whenever possible, properly point the face
an average thickness of not more joints before the mortar sets. If joints cannot
than 1 inch. (25 mm). be pointed, rake them out to a depth of 1 in
❖ Ensure that the vertical joints in (25 mm) before the mortar sets.
each course break with the
adjoining courses at least 6 in. (150 ❖ Do not smear the stone face surfaces with the
mm). mortar forced out of the joints or the mortar
used in pointing.
❖ Do not place vertical joints directly
above or below a header joint.
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
LAYING OF STONES
❖ Thoroughly wet the joints
pointed after the stone is laid with
clean water and fill with mortar.
❖ Drive the mortar into the joints and
finish with an approved pointing
tool. Stones in
❖ Keep the wall wet while pointing. Random Rubble
Work
In hot or dry weather, protect the
pointed masonry from the sun and
keep it wet for at least three days
after the pointing is finished.
❖ NOTE: Do not perform pointing in
freezing weather or when the stone
contains frost.
❖ After the pointing is completed and
the mortar is set, thoroughly clean
the walls and leave them in a neat
condition.
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
MASONRY JOINTS IN STONES
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
MASONRY JOINTS IN STONES
Bed/ Table
Joint
Plugged Joint
Crampped Joint (Cramp Length 200-300mm)
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
MASONRY JOINTS IN STONES
Rusticated Joint
Dowel Joint
Face joints not thicker than 20mm
Vertical joint in each course break
adjoining courses at least 150mm
oints shall be 25mm deep
Saddled Joint
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
Based on the arrangement of the stone in the construction and degree of
refinement in the surface finish, the stone masonry can be classified broadly
in the following two categories:
1. Rubble masonry
2. Ashlar masonry
RUBBLE MASONRY
Stones used are either undressed or roughly dressed having wider joints.
Subdivisions: Random Rubble ● Cheapest, roughest and poorest form
● Stones vary in their shape and size
Uncoursed, Squared Rubble and are directly obtained from quarry
Coursed, ● Weak corners and edges are removed
with mason’s hammer
Random,
● Generally, bigger stone blocks are
dry, employed at quoins and jambs to
Polygonal And increase the strength of masonry
Flint
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY
Uncoursed: Random Rubble
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Random Rubble Uncoursed
● Header/ Trough stone
for every 0.5m2 and at
specified spacing of 1m2
● Length= wall thickness
for wall upto 60cm thick
wall
● 2 or more stones with an
overlap of 15cm for more
than 60cm thick wall
● Precast cement concrete
1:3:6 bond stones in case
of unavailability
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Coursed: Regular
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Uncoursed: Squared Rubble
Stone blocks are made
roughly square with hammer.
Generally the facing stones
are given hammer-dressed
finish.
Large stones are used as
quoins.
Use of chips in bedding is
avoided.
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Uncoursed: Squared Rubble
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Square: Built to Course
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Coursed: Regular
Uniform height stones are
used in horizontal layers not
less than 13cm in height
Generally, the stone beds are
hammered or chisel dressed to
a depth of at least 10cm from
the face
Vertical joints of two
consecutive curse do not
coincide with each other
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Square: Regular Coursed
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Polygonal
Quoins
Stones are roughly
dressed to an irregular
polygonal shape
Small stone chips should
not be used to support
the stones on the facing
Vertical joints of two
consecutive curse do not
coincide with each other
45cm length or more
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Flint
● Flint stones are used wherever available
● Varying in thickness from 8 to 15cm and in length from 15 to 30cm
● Arranged in the facing in the form of coursed or uncoursed masonry
● Thin long stones as laces may be added at vertical distance of 1m-
2m for more strength
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY
Flint
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
RUBBLE MASONRY Dry
Used in the construction of retaining walls
pitching earthen dams and canal slopes in the
form of random rubble masonry without any
mortar.
Hollow spaces left around and stones should
be tightly packed with smaller stone pieces
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
ASHLAR MASONRY
Built from accurately dressed stones with uniform and fine joints of about 3-5 mm thickness
and dressed stone 15-30cm in ht by arranging the stone blocks in various patterns
Backing of Ashlar masonry walls may be built of Ashlar masonry or rubble masonry
The size of stones blocks should be in proportion to wall thickness
CLASSIFICATION
● Ashlar fine
● Ashlar rough
● Ashlar rock or quarry
faced
● Ashlar facing
● Ashlar chamfered
● Ashlar block in course
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
ASHLAR MASONRY Rock or quarry faced
Rough
Block in course
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
ASHLAR MASONRY
Ashlar
chamfered:
45 degrees
Ashlar facing by means of
chisel for a
depth of
about 25mm
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
CORNICE: Ledge in Italian
Horizontal decorative
molding that crowns a
building or furniture element
Cornice over a door or
window, for instance, or the
cornice around the top edge
of a pedestal or along the top
of an interior wall
Function is to throw
rainwater free of the
building’s walls
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
CORNICE: Ledge in Italian
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
CORNICE: Ledge in Italian
Rain water collection
Slope to Drain off Rain water Channel over the top of
Decorative Cornice
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
SILLS
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
SILLS
Minimum
25mm
overlap
into
abutting
masonry
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
SILLS
Sill as a Ledge in the Interior
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
PLINTHS
Plinth in Random Rubble Masonry to
receive A Load-Bearing wall Above
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
PLINTHS
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
CLADDING
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
CLADDING
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
TYPES OF MASONRY IN STONES
SUPERVISION
● Stones to be strong, tough, hard, and should conform with specifications of the work
● Free from defects like cracks, flaws, cavities, veins etc.
● Each stone block (unit) should be well watered
● All the stones should be laid on their natural bed
● Dressed properly according to the type of masonry
Vertical joints should be avoided.
● Broken stones, small pieces and chips should not be
used for facing and back except in hearting for proper
packing with mortar.
● Well bound stones at front and back shall be laid staggered in the successive courses. The centre to
centre distance between them should not exceed 1.5 m.
● Generally, lime mortar may be used for work above plinth level. Cement mortar may be used for
masonry below plinth level, above plinth level (for high compressive strength) and for damp proof
constt
● Quoins used to form the jambs for windows, doors and other openings should be of the full height of
the course. The breadth and length of quoin should at least be 1.5 times and twice its depth
respectively.
● Frequently checked vertical surfaces (i.e., facing and backing) of the wall should be constructed
perfectly in plumb.
● Battered surfaces, if any, should be properly checked with the help of wooden template and plumb.
● New constt shall start after well cleaned and wetted surface
● Double scaffolding for stone masonry construction at higher level.
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
13.06.2025 Dr. Kanchan Garg, NIT-Kurukshetra
