Ashlar masonry

Ashlar masonry:

The stone masonry in which finely dressed stones are laid in cement or lime mortar is known as ashlars masonry. In this masonry are the courses are of uniform height, all the joints are regular, thin and have uniform thickness. This type of masonry is much costly as it requires dressing of stones.
Suitability: This masonry is used for heavy structures, architectural buildings, high piers and abutments of bridges.

Ashlars masonry is further sub divided into the following types:

1. Ashlars fine or coarse ashlar masonry
2. Random coarse ashlars masonry
3. Rough tooled ashlar masonry
4. Rock or quarry faced ashlars masonry
5. Chambered ashlars masonry
6. Block in coarse masonry
7. Ashlar facing
8. 
   
   
   1. Ashlar fine or coarsed ashlar masonry:
                              In this type of stone masonry stone blocks of same height in each course are used. Every stone is fine tooled on all sides. Thickness of mortar is uniform through out. It is an expensive type of stone masonry as it requires heavy labor and wastage of material while dressing. Satisfactory bond can be obtained in this type of stone masonry.
      
      
   2. Random coursed ashlar masonry:
                         This type of ashlar masonry consists of fine or coursed ashlar but the courses are of varying thicknesses, depending upon the character of the building.
      
      
   3. Rough tooled ashlar masonry:
                        This type of ashlar masonry the sides of the stones are rough tooled and dressed with chisels. Thickness of joints is uniform, which does not exceed 6mm.
      
      
   4. Rock or quarry faced ashlar masonry:
                                  This type of ashlar masonry is similar to rough tooled type except that there is chisel-drafted margin left rough on the face which is known as quarry faced.
      
      
   5. Chamfered ashlar masonry:
                         It is similar to quarry faced except that the edges are beveled or chambered to 450 for depth of 2.5 cm or more.
      
      
   6. Block-in course masonry:
                     It is the name given to a class of ashlar masonry which occupies an intermediate place between rubble and ashlars. The stones are all squared and properly dressed. It resembles to coursed rubble masonry or rough tooled ashlar masonry.
      
      
   7. Ashlar facing: 
                               Ashlar facing is the best type of ashlars masonry. Since this is type of masonry is very expensive, it is not commonly used throughout the whole thickness of the wall, except in works of great importance and strength. For economy the facing are built in ashlars and the rest in rubble.