Brick Details Of The United Hillhurst Church

Bricks are a type of ceramic material that is composed of “metallic atoms and non-metals”, retaining properties of “ionic mechanism” (Simmons 2007:81). Ceramic materials generally obtain a higher melting point.

Brick Type: Solid 8-inch

Bond Pattern: Running

Texture: Smooth

Figure XX. Brick Details of the United Hillhurst Church

Brick masonry unit can be “solid, hollow, or architectural terra cotta” (David L. Heiserman 2015). The bricks used in this church are mostly likely an 8-inch solid unit brick. Their pattern bond of the brick masonry unit is a running bond (see Fig. XX). Running bond is “the simplest of the six (common patterns), consisting of all stretchers.” (David L. Heiserman 2015) Since it does not have any headers, “a masonry unit... with its face perpendicular to the face of the wall”, “metal ties usually form the structural bond” (David L. Heiserman 2015).

Fig. The Six Common Brick Bonds (David L. Heiserman 2015)

Brick Wall Type

There are four different types of masonry walls: solid wall, cavity wall, veneered wall and reinforced wall. Solid and cavity wall can be built “to either be load-bearing or non-load bearing”, veneered walls are non-load bearing and reinforced walls are to be “load-bearing”.

2012). Assuming that this exterior wall is load-bearing, it is impossible that this is a veneered wall. Therefore, this brick facade is either a solid wall or a reinforced wall. The exact brick assembly cannot be determined as there is no visible distinction between the two types of wall, therefore, based on visual observation, the brick wall here will be assumed to be a 2 wythes running bond solid wall (see Fig.