Brick construction: bonds, arches, lintels, coping

One-line orientation

This card is about how brick is assembled — bonding wythes, spanning openings, and capping the wall — where the tested ideas are “the header ties the wythes” and “arch vs lintel load path.”

Key points

• Brick positions / orientations: stretcher (face long, laid lengthwise), header (laid across to span the wall thickness), soldier (standing on end, vertical face out), rowlock (on its long edge). These names describe how each unit sits in the wall.
• Headers tie wythes together. In a multi-wythe wall, header courses bond the inner and outer wythes into one structural element.
• Bond patterns arrange headers and stretchers — common named patterns include running, common/American (periodic header courses), Flemish, and English bonds; patterns with headers provide the wythe tie, while a running (all-stretcher) bond typically relies on metal ties.
• Corbelling — stepping courses outward; overhang limited to about ½ the brick height per course.
• Spanning openings:
  • Arch — carries load in compression around the curve to the supports; needs centering (temporary form) during construction until the keystone locks it.
  • Lintel — a beam spanning the opening in bending; types: double steel angle, reinforced brick/masonry, precast concrete.
• Coping & corners:
  • Coping caps the wall top to shed water and protect the mortar beneath; horizontal coping is critical to weather protection.
  • Quoins reinforce corners (more robust, prevent chipping). Walls are built from the corners toward the center.

Confusions / comparison

Element	Role	Load path	Exam cue
Stretcher	Runs along one wythe	—	Face brick coursing
Header	Spans wall thickness	Ties wythes together	”Bonds the wythes”
Arch	Spans opening	Compression around curve	Needs centering during build
Lintel	Spans opening	Bending (beam)	Steel angle / reinforced / precast
Coping	Caps wall top	Sheds water	Protects mortar below

Related

→ Brick types & grades (this module): the units being bonded · Mortar joints (this module): coping

• joints shed water · CMU & grout (this module): reinforced masonry lintels and bond beams.