Reinforce Brick & Blockwork Through Masonry Bed Joints

Building brickwork that calls for reinforcement through the mortar joints? Rally Brickwelds provide masonry reinforcement, also known as Brickweld or Traintrack, for compatible brick & blockwork applications. The range gives bricklayers & builders a choice between a 50m 4-line roll or 2.9m straight lengths in 50mm, 90mm & 140mm widths.

Choosing the right Brickweld isn't simply a matter of taking the widest option. Match the reinforcement width, format, positioning, laps, mortar cover & installation pattern to the masonry leaf & project specification. Bed-joint reinforcement can be incorporated into appropriately designed masonry to provide additional reinforcement & assist with crack control, but its location & spacing need to suit the wall detail.

Working across a broader masonry package? Rally Wall Ties covers complementary wall-connection hardware, while Bolts & Fasteners supports associated construction fixing requirements.

Get the wall detail sorted before the next course goes down. Width, continuity around corners, treatment at openings & any required laps should follow the relevant drawings, specifications & applicable masonry requirements.

Four Rally Brickweld Options, Two Different Formats

The current collection keeps the choice relatively straightforward.

The main selection decision is roll versus straight length, followed by the required width where a 2.9m straight product is specified.

What Is Brickweld?

Think of Brickweld as reinforcement positioned within compatible masonry work rather than something added to the face of a finished wall.

Rally describes Brickweld as reinforcement for brick & blockwork, with the product also known as Traintrack.

Within an appropriate wall design, bed-joint reinforcement is incorporated into horizontal mortar joints. Its role can include adding tensile reinforcement & assisting with crack control where required by the masonry detail.

Brickweld shouldn't be treated as a universal repair for cracking or as a substitute for every other form of masonry reinforcement.

The wall design determines where it belongs.

Rally 50m 4-Line Brickweld Roll

Long masonry runs can make a roll format particularly practical.

The Rally MHBRICKWELD is supplied as a 50m, 4-line Brickweld roll.

Product Details

► Brand: Rally
► Product: Brickweld
► Product code: MHBRICKWELD
► Length: 50m
► Configuration: 4 line
► Format: Roll
► Application: Compatible brick & blockwork reinforcement

A roll allows material to be prepared progressively across longer masonry work.

Before cutting, determine how the reinforcement will continue through the wall detail, including required laps, corners, openings & control joints.

Rally 2.9m Straight Brickweld

Prefer reinforcement supplied in straight sections?

Rally offers three 2.9m straight lengths:

► MHBRICKW05029 | 50mm x 2.9m
► MHBRICKW09029 | 90mm x 2.9m
► MHBRICKW14029 | 140mm x 2.9m

Having three widths allows the specified reinforcement to be matched more closely to different masonry configurations.

Don't assume 140mm is automatically better because it provides greater width. Reinforcement still needs appropriate positioning & mortar cover within the masonry leaf.

50mm vs 90mm vs 140mm Brickweld

Width should follow the wall detail rather than personal preference.

Actual suitability depends on the masonry unit, wall construction, required cover & project documentation.

Measure the wall configuration rather than choosing from the product name alone.

Brickweld Roll vs Straight Lengths

Which format makes more sense for the wall in front of you?

50m roll: useful where material needs to be prepared progressively across longer masonry runs.

2.9m straight lengths: useful where straight sections in a specified width suit the construction detail.

Neither format changes the underlying reinforcement requirements.

The same questions still matter: where does the reinforcement go, how is continuity maintained & what happens when it reaches a corner, opening or control joint?

Where Is Brickweld Installed?

Brickweld is associated with horizontal masonry bed joints.

Rather than fastening it onto completed brickwork, the reinforcement is incorporated as masonry construction progresses according to the specified detail.

Applications can include compatible:

► Brickwork
► Blockwork
► Masonry walls
► Bed-joint reinforcement details
► Areas around openings where reinforcement is specified
► Straight wall sections requiring bed-joint reinforcement
► Commercial & residential masonry construction

Not every wall needs Brickweld in every course.

Spacing & location should come from the applicable design or construction requirements.

Brickweld vs Wall Ties

Both products can disappear inside a finished masonry wall, but they don't perform the same job.

Brickweld provides reinforcement within masonry bed joints.

Wall ties connect masonry leaves or masonry to another supporting construction according to the wall system.

One product doesn't automatically replace the other.

A cavity or veneer wall may involve wall ties for connection while reinforcement requirements are addressed separately.

For compatible wall-connection products, see Rally Wall Ties.

Brickweld vs Concrete Reinforcement

Brickweld belongs in a different part of the construction system from reinforcement used within concrete.

Brickweld is associated with reinforcement through masonry mortar joints.

Concrete reinforcement can include materials specified within concrete slabs, footings & other reinforced concrete work.

On projects involving both masonry & concrete construction, Concrete Reinforcement provides a pathway to complementary reinforcement materials without treating the two product types as interchangeable.

Follow the relevant detail for each part of the structure.

Brickweld vs Bricktor

Similar names can hide an important product difference.

Rally Brickweld is the Brickweld or Traintrack reinforcement represented on this collection page, available as a 50m 4-line roll & 2.9m straight lengths.

Rally Bricktor is a different product. Rally describes Bricktor as a galvanised woven mesh with a soft, flexible construction.

Don't treat Brickweld & Bricktor as interchangeable simply because both relate to brickwork reinforcement.

Use the product required by the wall detail.

Why Mortar Cover Matters?

Reinforcement needs to become part of the masonry joint without preventing the mortar joint from being formed correctly.

The selected width should allow the reinforcement to sit where specified while maintaining the required relationship with the masonry surfaces.

That makes width selection important.

A product that's unnecessarily wide for the masonry configuration can create an installation problem rather than providing an advantage.

Follow the specified reinforcement position & cover requirements for the wall being built.

Reinforcing Around Openings

Windows & doors interrupt an otherwise continuous masonry wall.

Those interruptions can create locations where reinforcement is specifically detailed by the designer or project documentation.

Where Brickweld is specified around an opening:

► Confirm which bed joints require reinforcement
► Check how far reinforcement must extend beyond the opening
► Maintain the required position within the mortar joint
► Follow any specified lap requirements
► Coordinate reinforcement with lintels, ties & other wall components

Don't invent an installation pattern on site simply because an opening resembles one on a previous project.

Corners Need a Continuity Plan

A straight masonry run eventually meets something.

At corners, intersections & changes in wall direction, the reinforcement arrangement should maintain the continuity required by the project detail.

Depending on the specified system, this may involve correctly formed corners, overlapping sections or another nominated arrangement.

Work out the corner before the brickwork reaches it.

Trying to improvise reinforcement continuity after the surrounding courses have already been laid can turn a simple detail into unnecessary rework.

Laps Aren't Guesswork

Two lengths meeting doesn't automatically mean the reinforcement is continuous.

Where laps are required, use the lap length & arrangement specified for the masonry system or project.

Check:

► Required overlap
► Position within the bed joint
► Whether laps need staggering
► Continuity of longitudinal wires
► Mortar encapsulation
► Nearby corners, openings or control joints

Avoid applying a generic lap measurement to every Brickweld installation unless that dimension is confirmed for the specific system being built.

Control Joints Change the Detail

Reinforcement & movement joints serve different purposes.

Where a masonry wall incorporates a control joint, don't automatically carry Brickweld continuously across it.

The treatment of reinforcement at that location should follow the designed joint detail.

A reinforcement layout intended to assist with crack control shouldn't inadvertently restrain a joint that's intended to accommodate movement.

Prepare Before the Bricklaying Run Starts

Once the mortar is mixed & the course is moving, missing reinforcement can become an expensive interruption.

Before work reaches the relevant bed joint, confirm:

► Correct Brickweld product
► Required width
► Roll or straight-length format
► Reinforcement location
► Required spacing between reinforced courses
► Lap details
► Corner treatment
► Opening details
► Control-joint treatment
► Current drawing or specification revision

Keep prepared sections organised so the correct width & length reach the correct part of the wall.

Common Brickweld Mistakes

Choosing the widest product by default: reinforcement width needs to suit the masonry detail.

Treating Brickweld like wall ties: they perform different functions.

Using Brickweld & Bricktor as interchangeable names: they're different Rally products.

Guessing the course spacing: reinforcement location should follow the specified wall detail.

Ignoring mortar cover: reinforcement still needs correct positioning within the joint.

Making up lap lengths on site: follow the relevant specification.

Continuing through control joints automatically: check how the movement joint is designed.

Calling every application structural reinforcement: don't assign a structural capacity or function beyond the documented wall design.

Further Reading for Bricklayers & Builders

Small components buried inside a wall deserve just as much attention as the masonry visible at completion.

Why Good Fasteners Matter More Than the Tool You Drive Them With looks at why seemingly minor construction components deserve careful selection rather than being treated as an afterthought.

Building out an everyday site kit? The Apprentice's First Tool Kit: What You Actually Need covers practical tool choices for people developing their trade setup.