Bricklayer

For the photograph, seeBricklayer (photograph).

Bricklayer

Bricklayer apprentice practising atKuben Vocational Arena
Occupation
Synonyms	Builder, construction worker
Pronunciation	ˈbrɪkleɪə
Occupation type	Craftsperson
Activity sectors	Construction
Description
Education required	Apprenticeship
Fields of employment	Civil engineering

Illustration of how the bricklayer, on clearing the footings of a wall, builds up six or eight courses of bricks at the external angles

Abricklayer,which is related to but different from amason,is acraftspersonandtradespersonwho laysbricksto constructbrickwork.The terms also refer to personnel who useblocksto construct blockwork walls and other forms ofmasonry.InBritishandAustralian English,a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".Astone masonis one who lays any combination of stones, cinder blocks, and bricks in construction of building walls and other works.Bricklaying is a part of masonry.

Bricklaying may also be enjoyed as ahobby.For example, the former British Prime MinisterWinston Churchilldid bricklaying as a hobby.

Bricklayers occasionally enter competitions where both speed and accuracy are judged. The largest is the "Spec-Mix Bricklayer 500" held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Required training

Professional bricklayers usually go through a formal apprenticeship which includes about three to four years of on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction, though some bricklayers may learn entirely from on-the-job experience. Unions and employers may offerapprenticeships,which allow individuals with little or no experience in bricklaying to learn fundamental skills under a more experienced employee. Contemporary masons in many countries must attend trade school and/or serve apprenticeships in order to complete curriculum signifying that that they understand fundamental related concepts such as the effect of humidity and water ingress,thermal insulation,and general knowledge regarding the science of construction material, as well as occupational health and safety.

In fiction and popular culture

• Italian-American authorJohn Fantefeaturedhod carriers,bricklayers, andstonemasonsprominently in several novels and short stories. This was due to the autobiographical nature of much of Fante's writing; his father, Nick, an Italian-born bricklayer descended from — at least in Fante's fictions — a long line of Italian artisan bricklayers and stonemasons. Fante also spent a significant portion of his youth apprenticed to his father.
• InAleksandr Solzhenitsyn'sOne Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,the title character, aGulagprisoner, worked as a bricklayer.
• The long-running British children's TV seriesLook and Readfeatured "Bill the Brickie" ( "brickie" being a British and Australiancolloquialismfor "bricklayer" ), who would 'build' words with bricks to demonstrate the use ofmorphemes,such as '-ed' or '-ing'.
• In 2021,Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, stated in an interview forSporting Clube de Portugal's official television channel (Sporting TV) that her son would be a bricklayer if he hadn't become a professional football player.
• In 2024,The Bricklayer,an Americanaction thrillerfilm directed byRenny Harlinand written by Hanna Weg and Matt Johnson, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Paul Lindsay, who used thepen nameNoah Boyd, was released.

See also

• Brick hod
• Construction
• Guild
• Stonemasonry

References

• The dictionary definition ofbricklayerat Wiktionary