Page 69 - Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures

2.22 CHAPTER TWO

shall be of whole, sound materials and free from cracks and other defects that will interfere
with proper laying or use. Old mortar shall be cleaned from the units before reuse.” The
MSJC-08 Code [2.43] apparently does not permit the use of salvaged brick units. MSJC
Specification for Masonry Structures [2.4, Section 2.3B] requires clay or shale masonry
units to conform to following ASTM Standards as specified:

1. ASTM C34-03: Specification for Structural Clay Load-Bearing Wall Tile [2.22].
2. ASTM C56-05: Specification for Structural Clay Nonload-Bearing Structural Wall
Tile [2.23].
3. ASTM C62-05: Specification for Building Brick (Solid Masonry Units Made from
Clay or Shale [2.12].
4. ASTM C126-99 (2005): Specification for Ceramic Glazed Structural Clay Facing
Tile, Facing Brick, and Solid Masonry Units [2.17].
5. ASTM C212-00: Specification for Structural Clay Facing Tile [2.37].
6. ASTM C216-05a: Specification for Building Brick (Solid Masonry Units Made from
Clay or Shale [2.14].
7. ASTM C652-05a: Specification for Hollow Brick (Hollow Masonry Units Made from
Clay or Shale).
8. ASTM C1088-02: Specification for Thin Veneer Brick Units Made form Clay or
Shale [2.18].
9. ASTM C1405-05a: Specification for Glazed Brick (single fired brick).
Or to
ANSI A137.1-88: Standard Specification for Ceramic Tile [2.41].

Bricks salvaged from old demolished buildings are generally inferior compared to their
modern counterparts. This is because the early manufacturing methods were markedly dif-
ferent from today’s methods. The old manufacturing methods were such that large vol-
umes of brick were fired under greater kiln-temperature variations than could be permitted
today. This condition resulted in
a wide variance in finished prod-
ucts. The temperature variations
also resulted in a wide range of
absorption properties and color.
The under-burned bricks were
more porous, slightly larger, and
lighter colored than the harder-
*
burned bricks . Their usual pinkish-
orange color resulted in the name
salmon brick [2.40]. However,
when existing walls are demol-
ished, hard-burned bricks and
salmons are hopelessly mixed
(Fig. 2.15) so that it is virtu-
FIGURE 2.15 Brick salvaged from demolition of existing ally impossible to distinguish
walls. (Courtesy: BIA.) between durable and nondurable

*It is the nature of ceramic products to shrink during firing. Generally, for a given raw clay, the greater the firing
temperature, the greater the shrinkage and darker the color.