Thin-joint glued brickwork: Building in the British context

Thin-joint glued brickwork is used increasingly in mainland Europe but the uptake of the technology is inhibited in the UK because of a lack of design guidance. This paper, based on an international research project, provides some essential technical and practical information about thin-joint glued brickwork.The characteristics and advantages of thin-joint glued brickwork are described, latest research and working practices, particularly in The Netherlands and Belgium are reviewed and regulations, including Eurocode 6 are discussed.In relation to site practice, specific training and an adjustment of work practices are required due to differences in comparison to traditional brick construction techniques. A section on detailing and architectural aspects deals with appearance, dimensioning, pointing, expansion joints and other constructional considerations. The suitability of thin-joint techniques for brickwork prefabrication is examined, and lifting and transportation tests on brick panels demonstrated the potential of using prefabrication for production.