Bricka

2. Bricks are blocks of tampered clay moulded to suitable shapes and sizes while it is still in
plastic condition, dried in the sun and burnt, if desired so as to make them more strong,
hard and durable.
Common building brick is not only one of the oldest but also the most extensively used
material of construction. Popularity of bricks as a material of construction is because of
their local and cheap availability, strength, durability, reliability and insulating property
against heat and sound.
Introduction to Bricks

3. Bricks are broadly classified into two categories.
• Sun-dried bricks or kacha bricks or unburnt bricks, and
• Burnt bricks or pucca bricks.
While burnt bricks or pucca bricks are further classified as :
• First class bricks,
• Second class bricks,
• Third class bricks, and
• Overburnt bricks or Fourth Class Bricks.
Classification of Bricks

4. First class bricks,
Characteristics.
• First Class bricks have a uniform colour.
• All the faces are uniform and smooth. All the edges are sharp.
• These are free from cracks or flaws.
• A broken surface shows a uniform compact texture.
• Scratch with finger nails leaves no mark.
• These do not absorb more than 15% of their weight of water when kept immersed for 24 hours.
• Two first class bricks when struck with each other give a sharp metallic ringing sound.
• These are free from nodules of free lime.
• These may have only slight presence of efflorescence.

5. Uses.
(i) Used for all sound work of a permanent character.
(ii) Used in the face work of structure not to be plastered but only
pointed.
(iii) Used in flooring and in reinforced brickwork

6. Characteristics.
These are as hard and well burnt bricks as the first class bricks but may be
somewhat irregular in shape or size and may have a slightly rough surface. Other
qualities are the same as those of first class bricks.
Uses.
• Used in important situations or at places where the masonry is to be plastered.
• Used as brick ballast in R.C.C. work and in Lime Concrete.
Second class bricks

7. Third class bricks
Characteristics.
• These are a little under-burnt bricks.
• These are soft.
• These have lighter colour.
• These emit a dull sound when struck against each other.

8. Characteristics.
These are overburnt bricks that being near the fire in the kiln get fused and loose
their shape.
Uses.
• Used for constructing inferior structures.
• Used in the foundations of structures.
• Used as aggregate for concrete.
• Used as road metal.
Overburnt bricks or Fourth Class Bricks.

10. 225 mm
112.5 mm

13. BAT: When a brick is cut across the width, the resulting piece is called bat. Thus a bat is
smaller in length than the full brick.
HALF BAT: If the length of the bat is equal to half the length of the original brick, it is
known as half bat.
THREE QUARTER BAT: It is a form of brick bat having its length equal to three quarter
of the length of a full brick.
BEVELED BAT: A brick bat is called beveled bat, when its width has beveled.

15. CLOSER: It is the portion of the brick cut along the length in such a way as one long face
remains intact.
QUEEN CLOSER: When a brick is cut along its length, making it two equal halves then it
is called queen closer. Thus a queen closer is a broken brick portion whose width is half as
wide as the original brick. This is also called as queen closer half.
QUEEN CLOSER QUARTER: If a queen closer is broken into two equal pieces then it is
known as queen closer quarter. Such a closer is thus a brick piece which is one quarter of
the brick size.

17. KING CLOSER: If a brick is cut in such a way that the width of one end becomes half that of
a full brick, while the width at the other end is equal to the full width, then it is called as king
closer. It is obtained by cutting out a triangular portion of the brick between the centre of one
end (width side) and the centre of the other end (lay side). Thus it has half header and half
stretcher face.
BEVELED CLOSER: It is a form of king closer in which the whole length of the brick (i.e.
stretcher face) is chamfered or beveled in such a way that half width is maintained at one end
and full width is maintained at the other end.
MITRED CLOSER: It is a portion of a brick whose one end is cut splayed or mitred for full
width. The angle of splay may vary from 450 to 600. Thus one longer face of the mitred
closer is of full length of the brick while the other longer face is smaller in length.