Masonry: A Short Text-Book on Masonry Construction by Malverd A. Howe describes the materials used in masonry, their preparation and their arrangement in structures. This first edition, marked first thousand, was published in 1915 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, with Chapman & Hall, Limited, named for London.
A concise textbook with a practical sequence
Howe explains that the book was written for courses without enough time for a larger treatise. He also suggests that the text can form the outline of a longer course when used with the references provided at the end.
The contents are divided into materials, masonry and specifications. This arrangement takes a reader from recognizing and judging ingredients to understanding their use in work and the requirements written for that work.
For a practical historical library, the book offers a compact way to explore several related building crafts together. It connects stone, brick, mortar and concrete without assuming that every form of masonry is made or handled in the same way.
Natural building stone
The first chapter introduces natural building stones through geological, chemical and physical classifications. Durability, absorption, crushing strength and freezing tests appear alongside other ways of examining stone. Common building rocks are then considered.
The chapter also covers quarrying, joints in relation to quarrying, the use of explosives in quarry work, tools for preparing building stones and powered finishing tools. Surface finish provides another way of classifying the prepared material.
These pages are useful to readers studying the connection between the rock in a quarry and the stone in a wall. The historical testing procedures and working practices require their own context; they do not by themselves establish the suitability of a material for a current project.
Brick, binders and mortar
The second chapter addresses artificial building materials. Building-brick manufacture includes drying, burning and related kiln subjects. The contents also identify ornamental face brick, sizes, sand-lime brick, cement brick, hollow terra-cotta and plaster blocks.
Lime and several cement types follow. Sand and gravel lead into mortars, including lime, natural-cement and Portland-cement mortar, with separate attention to pointing and colored work. This places binders and aggregates within the broader material survey.
For research into old specifications or repairs, the chapter helps explain why a description such as brickwork or mortar leaves many questions unanswered. The ingredients, preparation and intended use remain part of the material’s identity.
Stone and brick construction
The stone-masonry chapter distinguishes ashlar, squared-stone work, stone walls, paving and riprap. It discusses dressing joints, backing and filling, bond, setting stone and pointing. Measurement, strength, waterproofing and cleaning are also listed.
Brick and hollow-tile masonry receive a separate chapter. Joint forms, mortar, pointing, bond, crushing strength, lateral support, efflorescence and reinforcing brickwork are among the subjects. Drawings illustrate several joint finishes.
These sections are particularly useful for readers learning the vocabulary of historic construction. They show that the arrangement of units, the form of joints and the relationship between facing and backing all contribute to the description of a masonry wall.
Concrete and specifications
The concrete chapter covers ingredients, proportions, mixing, machinery, blocks, surface finish, depositing, forms and related work. It includes cold-weather and underwater topics as part of the period treatment. Detailed reinforced-concrete design is outside the book’s intended scope.
The specifications section includes railroad masonry and requirements for stone masonry, plain concrete, brick, lime, sand and cement. References suggest further reading in the order of the textbook’s subjects.
Audience and scan
This free ebook suits building-history readers, conservation researchers and students comparing early construction textbooks. Its relevance lies in explaining period materials and methods. Present-day structural work and material selection require current requirements and appropriate professional judgment.
The PDF contains 186 digital pages, including covers, preliminary pages and reference material. It has searchable text and illustrations. Small labels and numerical tables should be checked against the scanned page because recognition errors can affect precise details.
Book details
- Author: Malverd A. Howe
- Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York; Chapman & Hall, Limited, London
- Year: 1915
- Edition: First edition; first thousand
- Digital length: 186 PDF pages
- Language: English
- File size: 9.39 MB
