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 A brick is a block of ceramic (Clay) material

molded to suitable shape and size and is
used in masonry construction.
 After stone and clay, it is oldest construction
material used for light and heavy structures.
 It has been regarded as one of the longest
lasting and strongest building materials used
throughout history.
 Quality of bricks depends on the parent
material, finishing and quality of burning.

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 Brick
Frog

Length 9 inch
Stretcher

Height 3 inch

Riser

Width 4.5 inch

Header
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Brick Mold

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Classification of Bricks

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 Bricks are broadly classified in to two
categories:
1. Sun Dried bricks/Unburnt Bricks
2. Burnt bricks or pacca Bricks

Sun Dried bricks/Unburnt Bricks

 These bricks after molding have been dried
in the sun.
 These are used only for temporary and light
structures.

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 When exposed to rain or other climatical
agents are readily disintegrated.

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 After sun drying, these bricks are burnt in
Kiln for certain period then cooled and
removed from kiln and supplied to markets.

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 These bricks are stronger and have larger
compressive strength than unburt bricks.
 These bricks are classified into four types:

1. First Class Bricks

2. Second class Bricks
3. Third class Bricks
4. Over burnt Bricks

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 These are well burnt and uniform color.
 Its all faces are uniform, smooth and sharp.
 These are very solid and are free from cracks
and flaws.
 This is used for the construction of superior
work i-e heavy foundation and structures.
 If it stuck against the same type of brick,
good metallic sound is obtained.

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 If it is fractured, the interior surface of the
bricks shows the uniform textures.
 They do not absorb water of more than 15%
of the dry weight.
 They have of the minimum crushing strength
of 10.5N/mm2.
 Efflorescence presence is very little.

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 This brick is used for sound work of
permanent nature, construction of load
bearing walls, facial work, reinforced brick
work, walk-a-ways and flooring.

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First class bricks

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 This kind of bricks are also well burnt but
have reasonable smooth surface with fine hair
cracks and mild distortion.
 They are well burnt or slightly over burnt.
 If the struck against the same type of brick
they use to emit ringing sound.
 They are rectangular in shape and have well
defined edges but not in equal size.

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 They have clean surface but with certain small
irregularities
 They are free from major cracks but have
slight flaws and chips
 Even if it soaked for 24hours it will absorb
less than 22% of water.
 They have the minimum crushing strength of
7 N/mm2.

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 The second class bricks are used in masonry
constructions, where faces are to be
plastered, is used for the construction of load
bearing walls of single storey houses, used as
brick ballast in R.C.C work and in lime
concrete.

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Second class bricks

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 These bricks are under burnt and have some
cracks and rough surface.
 They are light colored and are relatively soft.
 When they stuck with the same type of brick
it emits dull sound.
 They are not in uniform sizes and slightly
distorted.
 They do not have well defined sharp edges
and corners.

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 They are not in uniform sizes and slightly
distorted.
 They do not have well defined sharp edges and
corners.
 They may show intensive sign of efflorescence
 In the fractured surface of the bricks they
don’t have the proper uniform textures, it may
show pebbles.
 These bricks will have the water absorptions of
20 % to 25 %. They have the minimum
compressive strength of 3.5 N/mm2.

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 This third class bricks are used in the
construction of unimportant structures; they
are used in the constructions of low height
structures, where the loads are much less,
such as construction of huts, sheds, etc; used
in the construction of boundary walls; used in
the areas where it is not exposed to rain.

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 As their name shows, these are over burnt
since remained near fire in Kiln so get fused
and loose their shape.
 These may have bulging surfaces.
 They have very light or very dark color like
black/grey.
 Their compressive strength is very low and
can not be used for civil structures.

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 These are used for inferior construction
works like aggregate, road metal, water
bound and gravels for floor works.

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 Preparation of Brick Earth
◦ Un-soiling
◦ Digging
◦ Weathering
◦ Blending
◦ Tempering
 Moulding of Bricks
 Drying of Bricks
 Burning of Bricks

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 Un-soiling – The soil used for making building
bricks should be processed so as to be free of
gravel, coarse sand, lime and kankar particles,
organic matter, etc. About 20 cm of the top layer of
the earth, normally containing stones, pebbles,
gravel, roots, etc., is removed after clearing the
trees and vegetation.

 Digging – additives such as fly ash, sandy loam,

rice husk ash, stone dust, etc. are spread, soil
excavated, puddled, watered and left over for
weathering. The digging operation should be done
before rains.

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 Weathering – heaps left for one month for the
elimination of the impurities which get oxidized
and washing away of excessive salts in rain. This is
done to develop homogeneity in the mass of soil.
The soil should be turned over at least twice and it
should be ensured that the entire soil is wet
throughout the period of weathering.
 Blending – sandy earth and calcareous earth mixed
in right proportions with right amount of water.
 Tempering – kneading of blended soil with feet or
with a pug mill to improve plasticity and
homogeneity.

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Blending brick clay

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 Pug mill consists of a
conical iron tube.
 The mill is sunk 60 cm
into the earth. A
vertical shaft, with a
number of horizontal
arms fitted with knives,
is provided at the
centre of the tube.
 This central shaft is
rotated with the help
of bullocks or steam,
diesel or electric
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 Blended earth along with required water, is
fed into the pug mill from the top. The knives
cut through the clay and break all the clods
or lump-clays when the shaft rotates.
 The thoroughly pugged clay is then taken out
from opening provided in the side near the
bottom.
 The yield from a pug mill is about 1500
bricks.

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 Moulding – giving right shape to the brick from
the prepared brick earth.
◦ Hand moulding
 Ground molding. Molded on sand. No frog in bricks
 Note: To prevent the moulded bricks from sticking
to the side of the mould, sand is sprinkled on the
inner sides of the mould, or mould may be dipped in
water every time before moulding is done. The
bricks so produced are respectively called sand
moulded and slop moulded bricks, the former being
better since they provide sufficient rough surface
necessary for achieving a good bond between bricks
and mortar.

 Table moulding. Molded on stock boards with frog

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Hand moulding of bricks

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 The bricks are moulded on stock boards nailed on the
moulding table.
 Stock boards have the projection for forming the frog.
 The process of filling clay in the mould is the same as
explained in ground moulding.
 After this, a thin board called pallet is placed over the
mould.
 The mould containing the brick is then smartly lifted off
the stock board and inverted so that the moulded clay
along with the mould rests on the pallet.
 The mould is then removed as explained before and the
brick is carried to the drying site.

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◦ Machine moulding can be done by either of the following
processes: (using maximum 10 per cent water)
 Plastic method or Stiff-Mud process. The pugged, stiffer
clay is forced through a rectangular opening of brick size
by means of an auger. Clay comes out of the opening in
the form of a bar. The bricks are cut from the bar by a
frame consisting of several wires at a distance of brick
size. This is a quick and economical process.

 Dry Press method. The moist, powdered clay is fed into

the mould on a mechanically operated press, where it is
subjected to high pressure and the clay in the mould
takes the shape of bricks.
 Such pressed bricks are more dense, smooth and uniform
than ordinary bricks. These are burnt carefully as they are
likely to crack.

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 Green bricks contain about 7–30% moisture depending
upon the method of manufacture.
 The object of drying is to remove the moisture to
control the shrinkage and save fuel and time during
burning.
 The moisture content is brought down to about 3 per
cent under exposed conditions within three to four
days. Thus, the strength of the green bricks is increased
and the bricks can be handled safely.
Natural drying: also known as hack drying, bricks are
dried in open air and sunlight.
Artificial drying: brick are dried in Kiln chamber or
tunnel.

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Drying of bricks

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Drying of bricks

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Protecting dry bricks

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 Burning Stages
◦ Dehydration (400-650 °C). Also known as Water
smoking stage. Water from pores is driven off
◦ Oxidation (650-900 °C). Carbon is eliminated
and ferrous iron is oxidized to ferric form.
Sulphur is removed.
◦ Vitrification (900-1250 °C). Mass converted into
glass like substance

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 Clamp or Pazawah Burning
◦ Alternate layers of bricks and fuel encased in mud
plaster.
◦ Fuel consists of grass, cow dung, litter, wood, coal
dust
◦ Brick layer consists of four to five courses of brick
◦ 25,000 to 100,000 bricks in three months cycle
 Kiln Burning
◦ Intermittent kiln. Loaded, fired, cooled and unloaded
before next loading
◦ Continuous kiln. Bricks are loaded, fired, dried and
cooled simultaneously in different chambers.
Example: Bull’s trench kiln and Hoffman’s kiln

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Burning of bricks in kilns

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Burning fuel

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 Preheating

Fuel
supply
Hot air leaving

Loading raw bricks

Cool air entering

Removing cooled bricks

Cooling
bricks
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 Preheating bricks
Loading raw bricks

Unloading cooled Cooling bricks

bricks

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 Size and shape – uniform size, rectangular
surfaces, parallel sides, sharp straight edges
 Color – uniform deep red or cherry
 Texture and compactness – uniform texture,
fractured surface should not show fissures,
holes, grits or lumps of lime
 Hardness and soundness – not scratch able by
finger nail. Produce metallic ringing sound
 Water absorption – should not exceed 20% wt
 Crushing strength – not less than 10.5 N/mm2
 Brick earth – free from stones, organic matter

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 Heavy duty bricks
 Perforated bricks
 Paving bricks
 Hollow bricks
 Clay tiles
 Fire-clay or refractory bricks

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 These Bricks are made from fire-clay, using same
process as an ordinary clay.
 Fire-clay is a term, loosely applied, to include those sedimentary or
residual clays which vitrify at a very high temperature and which,
when so burnt, possess great resistance to heat.
 Fire clays are capable of resisting very high temperatures up to
1700°C without melting or softening and resist spalling.

 The color of the Brick is yellow or light brown.

 The water absorption varies from 4-10 %.

 The compressive strength bet 150-200 N/mm2

 Used for the lining blast furnaces, Ovens, Kiln, Boilers

and Cimneys.
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 Over-burning. Burnt beyond complete vitrification

 Under-burning. Burnt less not to cause complete

vitrification

 Bloating. Spongy swollen mass over the surface due

to excess carbonaceous matter and sulphur

 Black Core. Due to bituminous matter or carbon

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 Efflorescence. Grey or white crystallization
of alkalis on the surface, due to water
absorption
 Spots. Dark sulphur spots due to iron
sulphides
 Blisters. Broken blisters due to air
entrapped during molding
 Laminations. Thin lamina produced due to
air entrapped in voids of clay

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