Building Materials

Lecture three
Masonry

Tahani alkailani
Definition
• Originally, bricks were hand moulded from moist clay and then
sun baked, as is still the current practice in certain arid climates.
The firing of clay bricks dates back well over 7000 years, and is
now a sophisticated and highly controlled manufacturing process;
yet the principle of burning clay, to convert it from its natural
plastic state into a dimensionally stable, durable, remains
unchanged.

• The main ingredients of brick-making clays are silica (sand) and

alumina, but with varying quantities of chalk, lime, iron oxide and
other minor constituents.
Manufacture of bricks
1. Extraction of the raw material
• The process begins with the extraction of the raw material from the
quarry and its transportation to the works, by conveyor belt or road
transport .
2. Forming processes:
a - Handmade bricks.
b- Soft mud process.
c- Pressed bricks .
e- Extruded wire cut bricks .
3. Drying.
4.Firing by kilns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhKysLVt9Mk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KnaNTKHAzo
5. Packaging and distribution.
Phases of brick Manufacturing
Clay or Shale Crushed
and Transported to Storage Area Being
Clay is Thoroughly Mixed with Water
in Pug Mill Before Extrusion
After Mining, Clay is Extruded Through a Die and
Trimmed to Specified Dimension Before Firing
Brick Enter Tunnel Kiln for Firing
Robotic Arm Unloading Brick After Firing
Physical properties
The fired color of clay bricks is significantly influenced by:
•The chemical and mineral content of raw materials,
•The firing temperature and the atmosphere in the kiln.

For example pink coloured bricks are the result of a high iron content, white or yellow bricks
have a higher lime content. Most bricks burn to various red hues, if the temperature is
increased the color moves through dark red, purple and then to brown or grey at around 1300
°C. Calcium silicate bricks have a wider range of shades and colors, depending on the
colorants used.
The standard metric brick is 215 X 102.5 X
65 mm, weighing between 2 and 4 kg, and is
easily held in one hand. The length of a brick
(215 mm) is equal to twice its width 102.5
mm) plus one standard 10 mm joint and three
times its height (65 mm) plus two standard
joints .
Block

In the United States, a concrete masonry unit (CMU) — also called concrete
block, cement block or foundation block — is a large rectangular brick used in
construction. Concrete blocks are made from cast concrete, i.e. Portland cement
and aggregate, usually sand and fine gravel for high-density blocks.

A stack of rectangular concrete blocks

TYPES
Concrete blocks are defined as solid, cellular or hollow.
Standard sizes of block
Manufacuring
Physical properties
Color & Texture

• Fair-faced concrete blocks are available in a wide range of colors from

white, through buff, sandstone ,yellow, to pink, blue, green and black.
• Textures range from polished, smooth and weathered .
Bungalow Red Charcoal Desert Yellow

Chestnut Falcon Ivory

Red Rocks Sandalwood Grey

Advantages
• Durability
• Fire resistance
• Acoustic properties Good-quality
• 70% Energy efficiency
• High quality at low cost
• Environmentally and socially healthy
• Blockwork has considerable economic advantages over brickwork in terms of:
a-Speed of construction
b-Particularly as the lightweight blocks can be lifted in one hand.
Uses
• Structures such as walls, column, roofs & ceilings, bridges and
chimneys.
• Used to finish openings such as doors or windows in buildings
made of other materials
• Pavement
• Bricks are also used in the metallurgy and glass industries for
lining furnaces.
• Stairs
• Landscape
• Sculpture
• Fire place
Masonry Mortar

•  Masonry mortar is composed of one or more cementitious materials,

clean well-graded masonry sand, and sufficient water to produce a
plastic, workable mixture.