Brick has been used as a building material for centuries due to its durability, strength, reliability and low cost. It is made by preparing clay through processes like blending, tempering and molding into bricks, then drying and burning. The key ingredients in clay that give bricks their properties include alumina, silica, lime and iron. Bricks are classified by their positioning in walls, such as headers, stretchers. Other brick terminology includes arrises, frogs, courses, quoins, perpends, closures and bats. Good bricks are table molded, well-burned, copper colored and free from cracks, with uniform shape and size that produces a clear ringing sound.

1. “BRICKS” As Building Material
AAERT_SID INTERIOR MATERIAL & TECHNOLOGY-1 SEM.- 01

2. Introduction
• Brick is one of the oldest building
material.
• Extensively used in present time as a
leading building material because of
its durability, strength, reliability, low
cost and easy availability.
• Great wall of china was built with both
burnt and dried bricks.
• Bricks and mortar is one of the
essential components of brick
masonry.y

3. • Principal Ingredient:
– Alumina: Should contain 20 to 30 %Alumina: Should contain 20 to 30 % ,
Imparts plasticity
if present in excess raw bricks shrink and deforms during drying
and burning and becomes very hard on burning.
– Silica: Should contain 50 to 60 % ,
Imparts uniform shape to the bricks
prevents Cracking, shrinking, and deform of raw bricks.
Excess destroys the cohesion between particles and brick becomes brittle
– Lime: Should not exceed 5%Lime: Should not exceed 5%
Prevents shrinkage of raw bricks.
excess Causes bricks to melt and hence the shape is lost.
– Oxide Of Iron: Desirable Quantity about 5 to 6 percent
Imparts Red Color to the Brick.
Excess makes brick dark blue or blackish and lesser quantity makes itExcess makes brick dark blue or blackish and lesser quantity makes it
yellowish
– Magnesia: imparts yellow tint and decreases shrinkage.
E l d h d f b i kExcess leads to the decay of bricks.

4. Harmful Ingredients in bricksg
– Lime- excess causes bricks to melt and shape is lost
I it b i k t lli d d di i t t d d i b i– Iron pyrites- bricks are crystallized and disintegrated during burning
because of the oxidation of iron pirates.
– Alkalis – mainly found in the form of soda potash. Acts as a flux in the
kiln during burning and they cause brick to fuse, twist and deform.
– Pebbles - it will not allow the clay to be mixed uniformly and thoroughly
which will result into weak and porous bricks.
– Vegetation and organic matters – if doesn’t get burnt completely
causes pores in the brick

5. Manufacturing of bricksg
Criteria for the selection of a brick field
• Linked up with the roadLinked up with the road
• Situated on the plain ground
• Good earth is readily available
• It should offer all the facilities to the workers.
Four distinct operationsFour distinct operations
– Preparation of clay
– Moulding
– Drying
– Burning

6. 1. Preparation of clay
• The clay for bricks is prepared in
the following order:
a) Un-soiling
b) Digging
c) Cleaning
d) Weathering
e) Blending) g
f) Tempering

7. 2. Moulding
• Hand Moulding
– Ground moulded bricks
– Table moulded bricks
• Machine Moulding
– Plastic clay machinesPlastic clay machines
– Dry Clay machines

8. 3. Dryingy g
• If the damp bricks are directly burnt, there is a possibility of being cracked
and distorted.
• Hence bricks are dried before burning stage artificially or naturally.
• Laid longitudinally in stacks.
• They are laid along and across the stack in alternate layersThey are laid along and across the stack in alternate layers.
• They are kept for drying till 2% of moisture is removed – bone dry
• Important fact to be remembered regarding drying of bricks.
A tifi i l D i i th f f t l h t fl d– Artificial Drying: in the form of tunnels or hot floor dryers
– Circulation of air
– Drying-yardy g y
– Period for drying
– screens

9. 4. Burningg
• Very important stage in the
manufacturing of bricks.
I t h d d t th t th• Imparts hardness and strength to the
bricks.
• It makes the bricks dense and durable
If b t th b i k ill b• If over burnt, then bricks will become
brittle.
• If under burnt, they will be soft and will
not be able to take loadnot be able to take load
• Burning is done in:-
– Clamps
Kil– Kilns

14. Brick Positions:Brick Positions:
St t hStretcher
Header
Soldier
Shiner
Rowlock
SailorSailor

15. Definitions
• Arrises Frog
– The edges formed by the
intersection of plane
surfaces of a brick are
called arrises.
• Frog
Th d i id d– The depression provided
in the face of a brick
during its manufacturing
Courses
g g
is called the frog.
• Course
each hori ontal la er of
Arises
each horizontal layer of
bricks laid in mortar is
called course.

16. Definitions
• QuoinsQuoins
– The external corners of a
wall are called Quoins. And
Perpends
a a e ca ed Quo s d
the bricks forming quoins are
called quoin bricks. E.g quoin
h d i t t hheader or quoin stretcher.
P d
Quoin
Header
Quoin
Stretcher
• Perpends
– The imaginary vertical lines
which includes vertical jointswhich includes vertical joints
are called Perpends.

17. DefinitionsDefinitions
H d• Header
– Brick laid with its width in elevation is called
h d I i hi h ll b i k h dheader. In a course in which all bricks are header
is called heading or header course.
• Stretcher
– Brick laid with its length in elevation is called
stretcher. In a course in which all bricks are
h i ll d h histretcher is called stretcher or stretching course.

18. Definitions
• Closure
– Closure bricks are prepared by cutting standard
brick across length or in different ways to fulfillbrick across length or in different ways to fulfill
the requirements of bond in straight walls,
corners, junctions or crosses is called closures.
They are of four types
Q l– Queen closure
– King closure
– Bevelled closure
Mitered closure– Mitered closure
• Brick bats
Brick bats are prepared by cutting standard brick– Brick bats are prepared by cutting standard brick
across width.
They are of four types
– Three quarter batThree quarter bat
– Half or square bat
– Quarter bat
– Bevelled bat

19. DefinitionsDefinitions
• FacingFacing
– The external face of wall is called facing.
• Backing• Backing
– The unexposed or internal face of wall is called
backingbacking.
• Hearting
Th i t i ti b t f i d b ki i– The interior portion between facing and backing is
called hearting.

20. Definitions
• Reveals
It is the verticle sides of door or window opening– It is the verticle sides of door or window opening
from outside is called reveals.
• Jambs
– It is the verticle sides of door or window opening
from inside is called jambs.
S ffit• Soffit
– The under surface of a lintel is called Soffit. It’s
the horizontal surfacethe horizontal surface.
• Sill
– The horizontal surface at the bottom side of aThe horizontal surface at the bottom side of a
door or window opening is called sill.

21. Definitions
• Column
– The isolated vertical load bearing member whose cross sectional
dimensions are much lesser then its length is called column.
• Pillar
The isolated vertical non load bearing member used for– The isolated vertical non load bearing member used for
ornamental purpose or as memorial is called pillar.
• Pier
– The isolated vertical load bearing members used as an
intermediate support of a series of arches is called pier.
• PilasterPilaster
– The thickened vertical load bearing member strengthening a wall
is called pilaster.
St hi• Stanchion
– The vertical load bearing member constructed of rolled steel
section is called stanchion.

22. Definitions
• Mortar
– The mixture of binding material and fine aggregate forming a workable paste is
called mortar.
• Grout or slurryy
– The thin paste of cement is called grout or slurry. It is used to fill the joints.
• Lintel
A ll h i t l b t ll i i ll d li t l– A small horizontal member to span up small opening is called lintel.
• Copping
– It is provided at the top of a wall to avoid dampness.It is provided at the top of a wall to avoid dampness.

23. Qualities Of Good Brick
• Should be :
– Table moulded
– Well burnt in kilns
– Copper coloured
– Free from cracks
– Sharp and square edges
• Uniform in shape and of standard size
• Should give clear metallic ringing soundShould give clear metallic ringing sound
• Should show a bright homogeneous and uniform compact structure free
from voids
• Should not absorb water more than 20 22 % by weight for first class and• Should not absorb water more than 20 – 22 % by weight for first class and
second class brick
• Sufficiently hard- no impression should be left

24. Thank you.