Rubble masonry
Rubble masonry, also known as rubblework, is the use of undressed, rough stone, generally for the construction of walls.
The most basic form of rubble masonry is dry-stone rubble walls which are very common in rural locations and popular with landscapers looking for a traditional aesthetic. The rough, unhewn stones are piled on top of one another without mortar, and are often laid in irregular horizontal courses.
Alternatively, the stones can be bound with cement or lime mortar, although in this case, a greater degree of stone selection may be required to avoid excessively wide mortar joints. Stones can be bonded by laying longer ones both along the face and oriented lengthwise across the depth of the wall. Selected stones are laid to form roughly square angles at quoins and around openings.
Polygonal rubble walling is where stones are split-faced and roughly dressed to suit a specific pattern or design. Random rubble walls involve stones of varying sizes and joint widths with small wedge-shaped fillets bedded into the mortar between them.
Rubble masonry can also be used as the outer surface of a wall, particularly common in medieval cathedrals and historic buildings, and as a core infill between external and internal wall faces.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
A call for prevention and sensitive re-use.
The CIAT principal designer register
Providing assurance and verification of the capability and competence of registered ATs.
Building Safety recommendations and Northern Ireland
The NI roadmap to improving safety in high rise residential.
BSA residential sector competence standards guidance
BSAS 01:2024 Organisational Capability Management System Standard - Competence Assurance.
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
No Falls Week. The importance of safe working at height
What to expect and what is on offer to avoid accidents.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.
From engineered product life-spans, to their extension.
Circular economy in the built environment
A brief description from 2021. Where are we now?
CLC publishes domestic retrofit competency framework
Roadmap of Skills for net zero.
Understanding is key to conservation.
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.