(pronounced bahnd)

This tiny little word has a surprising large number of meanings, some physical and some intangible. And we’re only going to talk about those related to masonry, a.k.a. brick work.

1) As you might imagine, one meaning has to do with adhesion (like glue) – i.e., the bond of the mortar (the once-fluid-but-now-hard stuff between the bricks) to the bricks themselves or to steel that reinforces the masonry structure.

2) Another meaning has to do more with a technical aspect. A structural bond is the method by which individual bricks are connected to one another so as to cause the entire assembly to act as a single supportive unit.

3) If you go look at our definition of “running bond,” then you can guess that another meaning has to do with the pattern of the bricks (or stones or tiles, etc.) themselves. The pattern bond might be purely decorative or it could be a result of the type of structural bond used to construct the assembly.

See also: running bond