--- title: "Detailed specification of brick work in 1:6 mortar" subject: "Construction Management" chapter: 12 key: "semester_8/construction_management:detailed-spec-brick-1-6" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/detailed-spec-brick-1-6 site: BCT Engineering --- # Detailed specification of brick work in 1:6 mortar Construction Management · Chapter 12: Specification - Asked in: 2069 Bhadra (old course), 4 marks - Video: [part-10 First class Brick work detailed specifications](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1k-2m-vqw) — Super civilian - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/detailed-spec-brick-1-6 - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/construction_management/chapter-12 ## Question Write a detailed specification of brick work in 1:6 cement sand mortar. ## Short answer Brick work with first-class bricks (240×115×57 mm) in 1:6 cement-sand mortar, joints max 12 mm thick, raked 12–15 mm. Mortar used within 30 min, curing 7 days. Measured in m³ of finished work. ## Answer #### Detailed specification: brick work in cement sand mortar 1:6 **Scope:** Providing and constructing brick masonry in cement sand mortar 1:6 (1 cement : 6 sand by volume) for walls above plinth, including scaffolding, curing and cleaning, as per drawings and the engineer's instructions. **Materials** - **Bricks:** first-class, well burnt, regular in shape (240 × 115 × 57 mm), uniform in colour, giving a ringing sound when struck; compressive strength as specified (first-class bricks normally not less than about 10 N/mm², and never below the NBC minimum of 3.5 N/mm²); water absorption not more than 20%; no cracks or lime lumps. Soaked in water for at least 2 hours before laying. - **Cement:** OPC 43 or PPC, fresh, free of lumps, kept in a dry store. - **Sand:** clean, coarse river or pit sand, free from clay, silt (< 4%), organic matter and salt; FM 1.5–2.5. - **Water:** clean and potable. **Mortar:** cement and sand 1:6 by volume (gauge boxes), dry-mixed until uniform in colour, then mixed with just enough water. Mortar must be used within 30 minutes of mixing; it must not be re-tempered. **Workmanship** - Brickwork in the bond shown (English or Flemish); full bed of mortar, all joints filled. - Joint thickness 10 mm (max. 12 mm); face joints raked 12–15 mm deep for plastering. - Courses level and plumb, checked by line, plumb bob and spirit level; vertical joints staggered. - Raising limited to 1 m per day; where work stops, it is raked back (stepped) according to the bond, with toothing only where future extension is planned. - Openings left, and lintels and sleeves placed, as per drawing; bearings for slabs/beams finished flat. **Curing:** keep wet for at least 7 days; protect fresh work from rain and sun. **Tolerance:** plumb within 5 mm per 3 m height. **Measurement and payment:** measured in cubic metres of finished work; openings over 0.1 m² deducted. The rate includes all materials, labour, scaffolding, curing and wastage. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. What does mortar 1:6 mean in the specification? A. 1 part cement : 6 parts sand by volume B. 1 part sand : 6 parts cement C. 1 kg cement : 6 kg sand D. 6 parts water Answer: A. 1:6 is 1 part cement to 6 parts sand by volume, measured in gauge boxes. (Key point: Mortar proportion) 2. What joint thickness and daily raising limit apply? A. 25 mm and 3 m per day B. 5 mm and unlimited C. 10 mm (max 12 mm) and 1 m per day D. 20 mm and 2 m Answer: C. Joints are 10 mm (maximum 12 mm) and raising is limited to 1 m per day. (Key point: Joint and rate) 3. Which curing and tolerance values are specified? A. At least 7 days wet, plumb within 5 mm per 3 m B. 3 days, plumb within 50 mm C. 28 days, no tolerance D. No curing, 5 mm per 30 m Answer: A. Keep wet for at least 7 days; plumb within 5 mm per 3 m height. (Key point: Curing and tolerance) ## Close variants set in other exams - [Detailed specification of brick work in 1:4 mortar](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-brick-1-4) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 5× ## Related in Construction Management - [Detailed specification of cement sand mortar 1:4](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-cs-mortar-1-4) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 2× - [Detailed specification of cement sand mortar 1:6](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-cs-mortar-1-6) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 2× - [Detailed specification of cement plaster 1:4](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-plaster-1-4) — Construction Management, chapter 12 - [Detailed specification of stone masonry in 1:6 mortar](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-stone-masonry-1-6) — Construction Management, chapter 12 - [Types of specification: general and detailed](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aspec-types-general-detailed) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 7× - [Detailed specification of RCC M20 column](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-rcc-m20-column) — Construction Management, chapter 12 ## Related in other subjects - [Mortar properties; cement and sand for 10 cum](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Amortar-quantity-10cum) — Building Technology, chapter 3 - [Well foundation: sinking, brick, sand filling, PCC](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Awell-foundation-g-sand-filling) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6, asked 2× - [Building: excavation, brick 1:4, wood work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-k-fig1) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6 - [Building: excavation, PCC, brick, wood work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-f-fig3-four-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6