Freezing water spalls bricks

Exterior · Masonry · printed page 314 (PDF page 315)

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Freezing Water Spalls Bricks Masonry Damage – due to Freezing Spalling – of Brick due to Freezing

Text in the illustration

freezing temperatures, saturated brick and a susceptible type of brick are required for spalling to occur
A
B
C
ice lens develops
water
ice lens absorbs more water and enlarges
because bricks are poor in tension, the front face cracks off
note:
brick spalling is often a problem with bricks that have a tough glazed finish and a soft permeable core
cross section

Generated explanation

Three cross-sectional diagrams show the progression of freeze-related spalling in brick masonry with mortar joints. In stage A, an ice lens develops near the exposed face of a saturated brick, with arrows indicating water moving toward it. In stage B, the ice lens absorbs more water and enlarges. In stage C, the brick's front face cracks off because of its low tensile strength. An annotation identifies freezing temperatures, saturated brick, and a susceptible brick type as necessary conditions, and notes particular susceptibility in bricks with a tough glazed finish and a soft permeable core.