That is what I call a magnificent job done by a brilliant engineer.. Excellent and Good Job. My parents said I would never make it as a column, but here I am, 20 years later, the key structural component of a small parking garage, still holding strong!Next time you make something with bricks, wet them. Helps with adhesion and allows the mortar to set properly without the dry brick sucking up the moisture form it. As an idea, you want your brick inside one of those buckets of water until you don't see air bubbles escaping anymore. Keep in mind that this also means you have to leave the wall to dry for a while until it's ready to receive mortar (for the face of the wall).