BRICKS BRICKS

BRICKS

BRICKS

BRICKS

The bricks are obtained by moulding clay in rectangular blocks of uniform size and then by drying and burning these blocks. As bricks are of uniform sizes, they can be properly arranged and further, as they are light in weight, no lifting appliances is required for them. The common bricks is one of the oldest building material and it is extensively used at the present as a leading material of construction because of its durability, strength, reliability, low cost, easy availability, etc. The bricks seem to have been produced since the dawn of the civilization in the sun dried form. The great wall of china was built with both, burnt and sun-dried bricks. The bricks have been used all over the world in every class and kind of building. If the total bricks produced till today are to be counted, the figure would indeed be astronomical.

At present, India has the production capacity to manufacture over 100000 million bricks through about 45000 local kilns in the unorganized sector. The bricks have established as an age old material right from the thatched house to the multi-storeyed buildings. They were initially hand made and used as load bearing material for various structures. With the passage of time and advent of cement and steel, the frames only are filled up with the burnt clay bricks. The production of burnt clay bricks on a specific and modern basis including proper mining of clays can lead to the availability of quality bricks. In India, the process of brick making has not changed since many centuries except some minor refinements. There has been hardly any efforts in our country to improve the brick-making process for enhancing the quality of the bricks. The main reason for this attitude is that the production of bricks has been largely remained confined to the unorganized small sector. The result is that the construction industry in our country is largely dependant on the small sector which is unable to deliver high quality bricks in view of rising fuel cost, outdated technology and lower efficiency of production.

The brickwork is superior to the stonework in the following respects = 1.At places where stones are not easily available but where there is plenty of clay, the brickwork becomes cheaper than stonework. 2.The cost of construction works out to be less in case of brickwork than stonework as less skilled labour is required in the construction of brickwork. 3.No complicated lifting devices are necessary to carry bricks. 4.The bricks resists fire better than stones. 5.In brickwork, the mortar joints are thin and hence structure becomes more durable. 6.It is easy to construct connections and openings in case of brickwork than stonework.

The brickwork is inferior to the stonework=

1.The brickwork is less watertight than stonework. 2.The brickwork does not create a solid appearance in relation to the stonework. 3. The stonework is stronger than the brickwork. 4.The architectural effect of better quality can be developed by the stonework. 5. The stonework is cheaper at places where stones are easily available.

1.Alumina= it is the chief constituent of every kind of clay. A good brick earth should contain about 20% to 30% of alumina. 2.Silica= it exists in clay either as free or combined. A good brick earth should contains about 50% to 60% of silica. 3.Lime= a small quantity of lime not exceeding 5% is desirable in good brick earth. it should be present in a very finely powder statebecause even small particles of size of a pin-head cause flaking of the bricks. 4.Oxides of iron= a small quantity of oxide of iron to the extent of about 5 to 6% is desirable in a good brick earth. it helps as lime to fuse sand. 5.Magnesia= a small quantity of magnesia in brick earth imparts yellow tint to the bricks and decreases shrinkage. But excess of magnesia leads to the decay of bricks.

1.Lime=The adverse effects of excess lime and lime in lumps are already discussed above. 2.Iron pyrites= If iron pyrites are present in brick earth, the bricks are crystallized and disintegrated during burning. 3.Alkalies= These are mainly in the form of soda and potash. The alkalies acts as a flux in the kiln during burning and they cause bricks to fuse, twist. As a result, the bricks are melted and they loose their shape. 4.Pebbles= The presence of pebbles is undesirable in brick earth because it will not allow the clay to be mixed uniformly. 5.Vegetation and organic matter= The presence of this in brick earth assists in burning. But if such matter is not completely burnt, the bricks becomes porous.

1.Loamy, mild or sandy clay 2.Marls, chalky or calcareous clay 3. Plastic, strong or pure clay

The presence of sand helps in preventing cracking, shrinking and warping of bricks. A typical analysis of such clay is as follows :Alumina = 27% Silica = 66% Lime and magnesia = 1% Oxide of iron = 1% Organic matter = 5% TOTAL = 100%

Such clay generally makes good bricks. But to avoid undesirable effects of excess lime, the sand is sometimes added to such clay. A typical analysis of such clay is as follows :Alumina = 10% Silica = 35% Lime and magnesia = 48% Oxide of iron = 3% Alkalies = 4% TOTAL = 100%

The raw bricks will cracks, shrink and warp during drying, if pure clay alone is used in making of bricks. Hence such clay is corrected by addition of sand and ash. A typical analysis of such clay is as follows :Alumina Silica Lime and magnesia Oxide of iron Organic matter TOTAL = 34% = 50% = 6% = 8% = 2% = 100%

In the process of manufacturing bricks, the following four distinct operations are involved :1.Preparation of clay = the clay for bricks is prepared in the following order :* Unsoiling * Digging * Cleaning * Weathering * Blending * Tempering

2. MOULDING :The clay which is prepared is then sent for the next operation of moulding. Following are 2 ways of moulding :1. Hand moulding = In hand moulding, the bricks are moulded by hand i. e. manually. It is adopted where manpower is cheap and of readily available for the manufacturing process of bricks on a small scale. The bricks prepared by hand moulding are of two types :# Ground-moulded bricks # Table-moulded bricks 2. Machine moulding = the moulding may also be achieved by machines. It proves to be economical when bricks in huge quantity are to be manufactured at the same spot in a short time. These machines are broadly classified in two categories :# Plastic clay machines # Dry clay machines

3. Drying =
The damp bricks, if burnt, are likely to be cracked and distorted. hence the moulded bricks are dried before they are taken for the next operation of burning. The drying of bricks are as follows :# Artificial drying # Circulation of air # Drying yard # Period for drying # Screens

4. Burning =
This is very important operation in the manufacture of bricks. It imparts hardness and strength to the bricks and makes them dense and durable. The burning of bricks is done either in clamps or in kilns. The clamps are temporary structures and they are adopted to manufacture bricks on a small scale to serve a local demand or a specific purpose. The kilns are permanent structures and they are adopted to manufacture bricks on a large scale.

1.The brick should be table-moulded, well-burnt, copper-coloured, free from cracks and with sharp and square edges. 2.The bricks should be uniform in shape and should be of standard size. 3.The bricks should give a clear metallic ringing sound when struck with each other. 4.The bricks when broken or fractured should show a bright homogeneous and uniform compact structure free from voids. 5.The brick should not absorb water more than 20% by weight for first class bricks and 22% by weight for second class bricks, when soaked in cold water for a period of 24 hours. 6.The bricks should be sufficiently hard. No impression should be left on brick surface, when it is scratched with finger nail.

7.The bricks should not break into pieces when dropped flat on hard ground from a height of about one metre. 8.The bricks should have low thermal conductivity and they should be sound-proof. 9.The bricks, when soaked in water for 24 hours, should not show deposits of white salts when allowed to dry in shade. 10.No brick should have the crushing strength below 5.50N/mm2.

1.Composition of brick earth; 2.Preparation of clay and blending of ingredients; 3.Nature of moulding adopted; 4.Care taken in drying and stacking of raw or green bricks; 5.Type of kiln used including types of fuel and its feeding; 6.Burning and cooling process; 7.Care taken on unloading.

A brick is generally subjected to the following tests to find out its suitability for the construction work :1.Absorption = A brick is taken and it is weighed dry. It is then immersed in water for a period of 16 hours. it is weighed again and difference in weight indicates the amount of water absorbed by the bricks. 2.Crushing strength = The crushing strength of a brick is found out by placing it in a compression testing machine. 3.Hardness = In this test, a scratch is made on brick surface with the help of a finger nail. 4.Presence of soluble salts = the soluble salt, if present in bricks, will cause efflorescence on the surface of bricks. For finding the presence of soluble salts in a brick, it is immersed in water for 24 hours. It is then taken out and allowed to dry in shade.

5.Shape and size = in this test, a brick is closely inspected. It should be of standard size and its shape should be truly rectangular with sharp edges. For this purpose, 20 bricks of standard size are selected at random and they stacked lengthwise, along with the width and along the height. 6.Soundness = In this test, the two bricks are taken and they are struck with each other. The brick should not break and a clear ringing sound should be produced. 7.Structure = A brick is broken and its structure is examined. It should be homogeneous, compact and free from any defects such as holes, lumps, etc.

The bricks can broadly be divided into two categories as follows :1.Unburnt or sun-dried bricks 2.Burnt bricks The bricks used in construction works are burnt bricks and they are classified into the following 4 categories :1.First class bricks = These bricks are table-moulded and of standard shape and they are burnt in kilns. The surfaces and edges of the bricks are sharp, square, smooth and straight. 2.Second class bricks = these bricks are ground-moulded and they are burnt in kilns. The surface of these bricks is somewhat rough and shape is also slightly irregular. These bricks may have hair cracks and their edges may not be sharp and uniform.

3. Third class bricks :- These bricks are ground-moulded and they are burnt in clamps. These bricks are not hard and they have rough surfaces with irregular and distorted edges. These bricks gives dull sound when struck together. They are used for unimportant and temporary structures and at places where rainfall is not heavy. 4. Fourth class bricks :- These bricks are overburnt bricks with irregular shape and dark colour. These bricks are used as aggregate for concrete in foundations, floors, roads, etc. because of the fact that the overburnt bricks have a compact structure and hence they are sometimes found to be stronger than even the first class bricks.

1.The first class and second class bricks are widely used for all sorts of sound work especially of permanent nature. These structures includes buildings, dams, roads, sewers, etc. 2. The use of first class bricks is specified for obtaining the architectural effects on faces of structures where they are to be kept exposed for beauty. 3. The masonry with second class bricks is generally plastered to make the smooth surface obtained due to the irregular shape and size of bricks. 4. The third class and sun-dried bricks are used for construction work of temporary nature. 5. The fourth class bricks are used as road metal and as aggregates in the foundation concrete.

No. 1. 2. 3. Black

Colour

Constituents present in clay Manganese and large proportion of iron Alkalies

Bluish green

Bright red, dark blue or Large amount of iron oxide purple

4.
5. 6. 7. 8.

Brown
Cream Red White Yellow

Lime in excess
Iron and little lime Iron in excess Pure clay Iron and magnesia

1. Bullnose bricks = A brick moulded with a rounded angle is termed as a bullnose. It is used for a rounded quoin. A connection which is formed when a wall takes a turn is known as a quoin.
2. Channel bricks = These bricks are moulded to the shape of a gutter or a channel and they are very often glazed. 3. Coping bricks = These bricks are made to suit the thickness of walls on which coping is to be provided.

4.

Curved sector bricks = These bricks are in the form of curved sector and they are used in the construction of circular brick masonry pillars, brick chimneys, etc.

5. Cownose bricks = A brick moulded with a double bullnose on end is known as cownose. 6. Hollow bricks = These are also known as the cellular bricks. Such bricks have well thickness of about 20mm to25mm. They are prepared from special homogeneous clay.

7. Paving bricks = These bricks are prepared from clay containing a higher percentage of iron. The excess iron vitrifies the bricks at a low temperature. Such bricks resists better the abrasive action of traffic. 8. Perforated bricks = These bricks contain cylindrical holes throughout their thickness . These bricks are light in weight and they require less quantity of clay for their preparation. The drying and burning of these bricks are also easy. 9. Purpose-made bricks = In order to achieve certain purpose, these bricks are made. The splay or cant bricks are made for jambs of doors and windows. The arch brick are made of wedge shape to keep mortar joint of uniform thickness.

These bricks are made from fire-clay. The burning and cooling of fire-bricks are done gradually. There are 3 varieties of fire-bricks:1.Acidic bricks = These bricks are used for acidic lining. Types of acidic bricks :* Ordinary fire-bricks * Silica bricks 2. Basic bricks = These bricks are used for basic lining and basic refractory materials are used in manufacture of such bricks. 3. Neutral bricks = These bricks are used for neutral lining. They offer resistance to the corrosive action of slags and acid fumes. Types of neutral bricks are :* Chromite bricks * High alumina bricks

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