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Bricks Note.

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Chapter 5

BRICKS

Manufacture of Bricks

Brick is one of the oldest building materials known, and its manufacture still follows the
same basic procedures of the past. The basic ingredient is clay which must have
plasticity when mixed with water, so that it can be moulded or shaped. Moreover it
must have sufficient tensile strength to keep its shape after forming and the clay
particles must fuse together when subjected to sufficiently high temperatures.

Occurrence of clays is in three principal forms of similar chemical compositions but


different physical characteristics:
(1) surface clays : found near the surface of the earth.
(2) Shales : clays subjected to high pressure until they have become relatively hard
(3) fireclays : found at deeper levels than the other types and usually have more
uniform physical and chemical qualities.

The manufacturing process has seven phases

(1) Mining and storage


Most clays are mined from open pits. After preliminary crushing of large lumps, the
clay is elevated to storage where it is blended to minimise variations in chemical
composition and physical properties.

(2) Preparing raw materials


From the storage bins, clay passes to crushers, where stones are removed and the
material is reduced to relatively small pieces, no larger than 50 mm in diameter.
Then the crushed clay is carried to grinders, where it is reduced to a very fine flour
and thoroughly mixed. Finally the fine material is elevated to storage.

(3) Forming
The first step is tempering - the mixing of clay with water in a pug mill. Depending
on the amount of water there are three methods:

(i) The stiff-mud process - only enough water is used to produce plasticity, usually
from 12 to 15 percent by weight. For increase in workability and strength, air
pockets and bubbles are removed by forcing the plastic clay through a de-airing
machine. Then it is forced through a die extruder, which produces a continuous
column of clay of the proper size and shape, at the same time, imparts the
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desired texture to the surface. Finally the clay column is cut into sizes of proper
length.

(ii) The soft-mud process - employed with clays which contain too much
natural
water for the stiff-mud process. 20 -30 % water is used in tempering, and the
bricks are molds.
(iii) The dry-press process - uses the least water in tempering, the maximum
being
about10 percent. Bricks are formed under high pressure.

(4) Drying
Most of the moisture is removed in drier kilns. In order to get the proper size of
bricks, there must be allowance for shrinkage. Drier-kiln temperatures range
from 38 - 2040c, and the drying time varies from 24 to 48 h, depending on the
type of clay. Too rapid shrinkage must be avoided.

(5) Glazing
It is covering with a thin shiny transparent surface. Ceramic glazing consists of
spraying a coating of a mixture of mineral ingredients on one or more surfaces
of the brick. The glaze melts and fuses to the brick at a given temperature,
producing a glass like coating which is available in almost any colour.

(6) Burning and cooling


Burning is a very important step in the manufacture of brick. The time required
varies from 40 - 150 h, depending on the type of kiln, clay, glaze if any, and
other variables. Cooling takes from 48 to 72 h, depending on the type of kiln.
Because of its effect on colour and cracking and checking in bricks cooling must
be carefully controlled.

(7) Drawing and storing.


Drawing is the process of unloading a kiln after the bricks are cool. At this time
they are normally sorted, graded, packaged, and taken to storage yards or
loaded on trucks or rail cars for shipment.

Properties of Bricks

All properties of brick are affected by the composition of the raw material used and
the manufacturing process involved.

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Colour : it depends on its chemical composition, the heat of the kiln, and the
method used to control the burning.

For all clays containing iron burned in oxidising fire - becomes red in colour
burned in reducingfire - becomes purple tint
underburning - yields salmon colour
Overburning - produces dark red colour.
Buff clays produce the buff and brown bricks, depending on the temperature of
burning.

Texture : It is produced by the surface treatment the clay is given as it leaves the
extruding die.
Scored finishes - the clay surface is grooved
Combed finishes - produced by placing parallel scratches on the surface
Rough-texture finishes - produced by wire cutting or wire brushing the clay
surface as it emerges from the die.

Size : most clays shrink during drying and burning from 4.5 to 15 percent, and
allowances are made for this when the units are moulded. Shrinkage will
vary, depending on the composition of the clay, its fineness, the amount of
water added, and the kiln temperature.

Strength of brick : the strength characteristics of brick also vary with the raw
materials and manufacturing processes involved. For example,
the compressive strength of brick varies from 10.3 to 13.79 Mpa.
Transverse strength (when acts like a beam) - 0.79 - 19.9 MPa
Tensile strength - 30 - 40 percent of the transverse strength.
Shear strength - 30 - 40 percent of the net compressive strength.

Water absorption of brick : it is defined as the weight of water, expressed as a


percentage of the dry weight, which is taken up under
a given test method. The water is taken in through
pores which act as capillaries to suck water into the
unit. This suck has an important effect on the bond
between brick and mortar. Tests indicate that
maximum bond strength is obtained when suction rate
at the time of laying is about 20 g/min.

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Average physical properties of brick

ABSORPTION MODULUS OF COMPRESSIVE TENSILE SHEAR


RUPTURE STRENGTH STRENGTH STRENGTH
5h 48 h FLAT_ EDGE FLAT_ EDGE
BOIL, COLD WISE _ WISE _ MPa MPa
% % MPa WISE MPa WISE
MPa MPa
17.4 14 7.3 7.6 32.4 37.4 2.7 12.7

Types of Bricks.

Classification based on functions.


(a) Common bricks : suitable for general building work but generally of poor
appearance.
(b) Facing bricks : specially made or selected to give an attractive appearance.
(a) Engineering bricks : dense and strong semi-vitreous to defined limits for
absorption and strength.

Classification based on qualities.


(a) Internal : suitable for internal use only.
(b) Ordinary : normally sufficiently durable for external use.
(c) Special : durable in situations of extreme exposure.

Two types of clay bricks are manufactured in Ethiopia at present. These are :
(1) the solid clay bricks.
(2) the hollow clay bricks and beam tiles.

According to the Ethiopian standard, the solid bricks are of the following three types.
(a) Brick without holes or depression (type TS)
(b) Brick with holes up to 20 mm in diameter each and having a total cross-sectional
area not exceeding 25 percent of the base area (b X l) of the brick (type TH)
(c) Brick with depression not exceeding 25 percent of the base area and having the
maximum depth of depression not more than 10 mm (type TD)

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The nominal dimensions of solid bricks are 60mm X 120mm X 250mm with dimensional
tolerances of 2.5 mm, 5.0 mm, 8.10 mm for the height (h), the breadth (b) and the
length (l) respectively.

According to ES hollow clay bricks and beam tiles are of the following three types.

a) with two faces keyed (combed, or scared) for plastering or rendering (type KK)
b) with two faces smooth and suitable for use without plastering or rendering on
either side (type SS)
c) with one face smooth and another face keyed for plastering (type SK).

Nominal dimensions of hollow clay bricks and hollow clay beam tiles.

Nominal Dimensions, mm
Height, h Breadth, b Length, l
1. Hollow Clay Bricks
10 200 300
100 150 350
100 250 300
120 250 300
150 200 300
2. Hollow Clay Beam Tiles
140 250 250
140 400 250
160 250 250
160 400 250

For further classification based on laboratory tests refer the next article.
Testing and Classification of Bricks

Two classes of tests are used to determine the quality of building bricks :
(a) field tests.
(b) laboratory tests.

Field tests such as appearance, hammer test and hardness test can easily be made at the
construction site.

Appearance tests such as shape, planeness, colour, checks and blister form valuable
indications of quality.

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When struck with a hammer, a properly burnt dry brick free from cracks emits a highly
metallic ring.

The hardness of a brick sample can be checked by scratching its surface or broken
section with a knife. A well burnt brick will be scratched with difficulty.

According to ES the laboratory tests classify bricks based on numerical values of their
compressive strength, water absorption, saturation coefficient and efflorescence.

Minimum Compressive strength.


Solid clay bricks.

Minimum Compressive strength


Class Average of 5 bricks Individual brick
N/mm2 N/mm2
A 20 17.5
B 15 12.5
C 10 7.5
D 7.5 5.0

Hollow clay bricks and beam tiles

Minimum Compressive strength.


Type Average of 5 bricks Individual brick
2
N/mm N/mm2
KK 7 5.5
SS 7 5.5
SK 7 5.5

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