#2014 Masonry

[Anonymous]

Originally created by: rastiemen

Icon Request: Masonry, Brickwork & Decorative Brick Construction

I would like to suggest expanding Material Symbols with a set of icons specifically for masonry and brick construction.

Masonry is a large construction trade used worldwide, but there are currently relatively few icons that clearly represent brickwork techniques, brick dimensions, bonds, arches, decorative masonry, and brick cutting.

A consistent set of masonry symbols could be useful for construction software, architectural applications, CAD/BIM software, estimating tools, technical drawings, education, and trade applications.

Suggested icons

Brick & masonry basics

• Brick — A single masonry brick
• Brick dimensions — Brick with length, width and height indicators
• Brick size — Generic symbol for selecting a brick format
• Brick wall — Standard masonry wall
• Brick course — Single horizontal course of bricks
• Brick pallet — Stack/pallet of masonry bricks
• Mortar — Mortar used for bricklaying
• Mortar joint — Joint between masonry units
• Joint width — Adjustable mortar-joint thickness
• Bed joint — Horizontal mortar joint
• Perpend joint — Vertical mortar joint

Brick orientation & pieces

• Stretcher — Brick shown with its long face
• Header — Brick shown with its short face
• Soldier — Brick standing vertically
• Sailor — Brick standing vertically with the broad face visible
• Half brick — Half-length brick
• Three-quarter brick — Three-quarter-length brick
• Brick cut — Generic cut masonry unit
• Custom brick size — User-defined masonry-unit dimensions

Brick bonds

• Stretcher bond
• Running bond
• Stack bond
• English bond
• Flemish bond
• Wild/random bond
• Header bond
• Soldier course

These could use simplified patterns of several bricks so the bond remains recognizable at Material Symbol sizes.

Arches & decorative masonry

This is an area where suitable construction icons are especially difficult to find.

• Brick arch — Generic masonry arch
• Segmental arch — Shallow curved brick arch
• Semicircular arch — Half-circle masonry arch
• Basket-handle arch — Multi-radius masonry arch
• Pointed arch — Pointed masonry arch
• Flat brick arch — Flat masonry arch with radial joints
• Jack arch / skewback arch — Flat decorative brick arch
• Dutch masonry hanenkam — Traditional fan-shaped brickwork above an opening
• Arch voussoirs — Wedge/radial bricks forming an arch
• Keystone — Central masonry unit at the crown of an arch
• Arch springing point — Point where an arch begins
• Arch radius — Radius/dimension of a masonry arch
• Decorative brickwork — Generic ornamental masonry symbol

Brick cutting & shaping

• Brick saw
• Cut brick
• Brick cutting line
• Angled brick cut
• Tapered brick
• Tapered brick cutting
• Mitre cut
• Brick angle
• Cutting angle
• Rotate brick
• Flip brick

These would be particularly useful in CAD and masonry-layout software.

Masonry layout & measurement

• Course height
• Masonry gauge
• Brick spacing
• Joint spacing
• Wall length
• Wall height
• Opening
• Masonry opening
• Door/window opening in brickwork
• Masonry profile
• Mason’s line
• Plumb
• Level masonry
• Brick alignment

Masonry tools

• Bricklayer’s trowel
• Pointing trowel
• Jointing tool
• Brick hammer
• Brick saw
• Brick cutter
• Masonry profile
• Mason’s line
• Mortar board
• Spirit level

Why this icon set would be useful

Most construction icon libraries contain generic symbols for buildings, tools and construction, but very few represent the actual geometry and terminology used by bricklayers and masonry designers.

In modern masonry software, users increasingly work with digital calculations for brick bonds, arches, openings, cutting angles, brick dimensions and decorative masonry. Simple standardized Material Symbols for these operations would make these interfaces much clearer.

The symbols could also be useful outside dedicated masonry software, including:

• CAD and BIM applications
• Architecture software
• Construction estimating applications
• Building-detail drawings
• Masonry training and education
• Construction planning
• Material calculators
• Building inspection applications

I am happy to provide photographs, drawings and multiple visual references for the less internationally familiar masonry concepts, especially flat arches, tapered brickwork, brick bonds, basket-handle arches and the Dutch “hanenkam” masonry detail.

The intention is not to submit finished SVG designs, but to provide reference material so the Material Symbols team can interpret these concepts according to Google’s own icon design guidelines.

Thank you for considering a dedicated Masonry / Brickwork group for Material Symbols.