BRICK AND

BLOCK

BRICK
A masonry unit of clay, formed into a rectangular prism while plastic and hardened be drying
in the sun or firing in a kiln.

BLOCK
Blockis a similar term referring to a rectangular building unit composed of similar materials, but is
usually larger than a brick. Lightweight bricks (also called "lightweight blocks") are made
fromexpanded clay aggregate.

TYPE OF BRICK
Common Brick
Brick made for general building purposes and not specially treated for color and texture. Also
called as building brick.
Low quality and low compressive strength but are useful for internal walls which will not be
seen.

Common Brick 3 hole

Solid common brick

Facing Brick
Brick made for special clays for facing a wall, often treated to produced a desired colour and surface
texture. Also called face brick.
Specially processed to give certain specific surface characteristics. Used for expose masonry surfaces
High quality and uniform appearance. Generally used externally in areas of seen brickworks.

Mud Brick
Unfired bricks, also known asmudbricks, are made from a wet, clay-containing soil mixed with
straw or similar binders. They are air-dried until ready for use.

Fired Brick
Fired bricks are burned in a kiln which makes them durable. Modern, fired, clay bricks are formed in one of
three processes soft mud, dry press, or extruded.
The soft mud method is the most common, as it is the most economical. It starts with the raw
clay, preferably in a mix with 2530% sand to reduce shrinkage. The clay is first ground and
mixed with water to the desired consistency. The clay is then pressed into steel moulds with a
hydraulicpress. The shaped clay is then fired ("burned") at 9001000C to achieve strength.
The dry-press process is the process of forming brick by molding relatively dry clay having a moisture
content of 5% to 7% under high pressure. Resulting in sharp-edged, smooth surface bricks.
The extruded brick is produced when low moisture clay isextrudedunder pressure through a die to
produce the distinctbrickshape. Different textures can be applied toextruded brickduring manufacturing
process, such as light or heavy sand, wirecut, rolled edges, or glazes.

Clay Bricks
Raw materials
Approximately 96% of bricks in the United Kingdom are manufactured from clay. Geologically, brickmaking clays are
composed of quartz and clay minerals, the type of clay depending on the locality of the brickworks. In the Midlands,
Etruria or Keuper Marl are used, Weald clay or clay from the Reading Beds is employed in the South East of England,
while in the South West, Devonian Shale or clay from the Culm Measures is selected.
Mineral compounds within the clay are responsible for the bricks colour, iron compounds give rise to red and blue
colouration. Minor constituents such as sodium and potassium assist in the vitrification process.
The manufacturer has to control the content of some minerals, which may affect the characteristics of the finished
brick,, calcium sulfate, coal,

lignite and calcium carbonate. Raw materials for brick making are
Extracted from quarries or pits and then processed and mixed with water. Most manufacturers stockpile clay to
minimise the need for extraction in wet weather when the movement of trucks on the clay material is difficult.
Stockpiles may contain sufficient raw
materials for a years production. Stockpiling ensures better intermixing of the extracted material and minimises
segregation as wellas weathering the raw material.
Rainwater washes out some of the soluble salts, which might later cause efflorescence - white patches - on the face of
brickwork. An alternative weathering method is to wash the
clay thoroughly in a wash mill and store it in an open area traditionally called a clay back.When clay is removed from

Calcium silicate
bricks
The production process for calcium silicate bricks was developed in 1866. They are manufactured from a mixture of
calciumlime, siliceous sand or crushed flint, sand and water. Additionally, pigments may be added. Today, approximately
1% of bricks in the UK are made from these materials and these types of bricks are sometimes referred to as sandlime or
flintlime bricks depending on the type of sand used in their manufacture. Constituent materials are proportioned and then
mixed before being moulded under great pressure into the required shape. Green bricks are loaded into trucks, which are
moved into curing chambers called autoclaves, similar to a very large pressure cooker. When the green bricks have been
loaded inside the curing chamber the ends are closed and steam at an approximate temperature of 175C is

injected into the sealed chamber. This increases the pressure inside the chamber and results in the lime and sand
combining chemically. Bricks remain in the autoclave for seven to ten hours and are then unloaded and allowed to cool. The
calcium silicate reacts with the atmosphere to form calcium carbonate. Dimensional changes from the pressed green to the
fully cured brick are negligible. Generally calcium silicate bricks have a comparable weight to that of a clay brick. They have
negligible soluble salts content and are not, therefore, prone to efflorescence.

Concrete bricks
Some 4% of UK bricks are made from
concrete. Raw materials used for their
production are Portland cement and
aggregates, with a pigment generally being
incorporated into the mix. Constituent
materials are proportioned, mixed, placed in
moulds, vibrated or compacted, de-moulded and then cured.
Performance requirements
for concrete bricks are given in BS EN 771-3
but sizes are not specified. Common sizes are
given in Table 2. A range of compressive strengths are
produced, typically from 7-40 N/mm2
Concrete bricks are typically 30-40% heavier
than clay bricks of similar dimensions.
Lengt Heigh Thickne
h
t mm ss mm
mm
90
90
290
215
65
103
190
90
90
190
90
65

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BRICK

AND BLOCK

Advantages of Brick

It can withstand heat thus giving fire protection to the house or buildings
It has better sound performance where it able to block the sound from outside.
It also offers lower utility cost. Energy efficient homes its inherent mass qualities help keep a home
cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
It offers wide range of non-fade colours.
It does not require painting for protection from being destroyed like woods.
It is a load bearing material which is it also help to support the building.
It is virtually maintenance-free. It never needs painting, caulking or staining.
It won't burn or rot like other finish materials

Disadvantages of Brick
During extreme weather, it may cause degradation of the surface due to frost damage.
Itadds a lot of weight to the foundation. Therefore it increases the stress of the foundation which stronger
foundation needed to support this bricks.
When the brick show some damage, it is unable to repair that part only but to remove the entire wall
section which very costly. Plus, material used arelargely related.
Poorly made bricks such as clinkers and older recycled bricks might be pitted, irregularly shaped, worn or
prone to chipping.
In humid climates, porous brick invites mold. It suffers damage as water and ice expand and contract in
its pores.
Brick is not cost-effective for many home builders. It can be damaged by vines.
Cleaning brick surfaces is a hard job.
Color of low quality brick changes when exposed to sun for a long period of time.

Advantages of Block
As for the advantage ofblock, lets look at the construction strength.
. Wooden forms are not needed. With a poured foundation there are forms that have to be pieced together
and then properly secured before the concrete can be mixed and poured.
. Blocks are light and easy to install. Any person who has masonry experience can install a concrete block
foundation.
. The blocks are strong and well insulated. When the re-bar is used, it adds strength to the structure and the
filled blocks insulate the building well.
. They are well suited to construction in seismic areas. They are a versatile building material.
. Most importantly blocks are environmentally friendly material. The blocks are made fromsustainable
resources that are recyclable. Blocks are not subject to same damage as woods, therefore it require lesser
repairs will lessen the impact on landfills.

Disadvantages of Block
People take short-cuts and not fill every block with mortar. By taking this short-cut, the integrity of the foundation is
compromised and the structure is relatively weak.
The mortar that is used to adhere the blocks together will crumble and disintegrate over time. Leaks are a direct result
and must be dealt with as soon as they are detected.
High maintenance costs for block foundations. Mortar must constantly be monitored and blocks must be sealed every
so often to ensure that no leaks occur.
Concrete blocks can be expensive. Traditional building supplies are less expensive than purchasing enough blocks for a
full foundation.Concrete blocksare typically two to three times more expensive than wood construction.
Concrete blocks are not pretty. Generally laid out in the same pattern as brick, concrete blocks are viewed as cold and
utilitarian. Concrete is not easily covered and is difficult to visually enhance. Some people stucco the blocks to hide the
ugliness. Others simply paint the blocks and leave them exposed for people to see. Extra landscaping is also used to
hide block foundations.
Waterproofing is a must. The blocks are porous and the mortar is not leak proof. Therefore a commercial grade
waterproof sealer is required to ensure that the foundation does not leak.

SIZE OF BRICKS
1. Modular Brick
A brick having nominal dimensions of 4 2 8 inch (102 66 203 mm).

2. Engineer Brick

A brick having nominal dimensions of 4 3 5 8 inch (102 81 203mm).

3. Jumbo Brick
A brick having nominal dimensions of 6 2 3 12 inch (102 68 305mm).

4. Norwegian Brick
A brick having nominal dimension of 4 3 5 12 inch (102 81 305 mm).

5. Roman Brick
A brick having nominal dimension of 4 2 12 inch (102 51 305 mm).

2. Flemish Bond
In this type of bond each course comprises of alternate header and stretcher. Alternate courses start with stretcher and
header. To break the vertical joints queen closers are required, if a course starts with header. Every header is centrally
supported on the stretcher below it. Flemish bonds may be further classified as Double Flemish Bond and Single Flemish
Bond.
In case ofdouble flemish bond, both faces of the wall have flemish look,i.e.each course consist of alternate header and
stretcher, whereassingle flemish bondouter faces of walls have flemish look whereas inner faces have look of English bond
[Fig-4 (a), (b)].

TYPE OF BRICK BONDS

1. English Bond
In this alternate courses consist of headers and stretchers. This is considered to be the strongest bond. Hence it is
commonly used bond for the walls of all thicknesses. To break continuity of vertical joints a brick is cut lengthwise
into two halves and used in the beginning and end of a wall after first header. This is called queen closer. (Refer
Fig-3). Fig-3 shows typical one brick and one and half brick thick wall with English bond.

3. Running Bond
This is a pattern with each course made entirely of stretchers. Unlike thestack bond,
the running bond courses alternate instead of being right on top of each other.

Applicability of Brick as Construction Material

Structuraluses: such asfoundationswalls and floors.
Decorative/ornamental uses: May be cast to from moldings and otherdecorativefeatures may
becarvedalso may be used in avarietyofcolors, textures, bondsandjoints.
May beconcealedby otherfinish materialssuch asstucco, plasterorpaint,or may beexposed
bothon theinteriorandexterior.
Bricksare also used in themetallurgyand glassindustriesforlining furnaces.
They have various uses, especially refractorybrickssuch assilica, magnesia, chamotteand
neutral(chromomagnesite)refractory bricks.Thistypeofbrickmust havegood thermal shock
resistance, under load,high melting point, andsatisfactory porosity.
Bricksare used forbuildingandpavement.Earlier brickpavement was found incapable
ofwithstandingheavytraffic,butit is coming back into use as amethodoftraffic calmingor as
adecorative surfaceinpedestrian precincts.