Defects and traditional brickwork

The identification of defects and their possible cause is often an integral part of survey and assessment. This chapter sets out a range of defects commonly encountered in traditional brickwork. This includes the effects of salt; structural issues such as cracking, bulging and bowing; deterioration of bricks themselves; and spalling from brickwork. The effects of previous interventions and biological growth in terms of causing building defects are also set out here. Lastly, a case study related to surveying a railway station for defects and their cause is presented. The identification of defects and their possible cause is often an integral part of survey and assessment. This chapter sets out a range of defects commonly encountered in traditional brickwork. This includes the effects of salt; structural issues such as cracking, bulging and bowing; deterioration of bricks themselves; and spalling from brickwork. The chapter also sets out the effects of previous interventions and biological growth in terms of causing building defects. It presents a case study related to surveying a railway station for defects and their cause. Decay of brickwork most often occurs in the presence of excess moisture. A key part of identifying defects is finding any sources of excess moisture saturating the brickwork. This chapter discusses various decay mechanisms and gives an indication of their possible cause. Identifying defects in traditional brickwork is often a key aim of survey and assessment work.