BDCSB301 Production of soil based bricks and

blocks

DATE: Monday, 10th July 2023

PERIOD: 8.30 am-11.30 am

END OF TERM III EXAMINATIONS

MARKING GUIDES
SECTOR: CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING SERVICES

TRADE: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

TVET LEVEL: 3

MODULE TITLE: PRODUCTION OF SOIL BASED BRICKS AND BLOCKS

MARKS: /100

DURATION: 3 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
This Exam paper is composed of Three Sections (A, B, C). Follow the
instructions given below, and answer the indicated questions for a total of 100
marks

Section A: Seventeen (17) questions, all Compulsory 55 marks

Section B: Among the five (5) questions, attempt any three (3) 30 marks

Section C: Among the two (2) questions, attempt any one (1) 15 marks

Allowed materials:
Mathematical set, Blue or Black pen, Non-Programmable calculator

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SECTION A: Attempt all questions (55 marks)
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01. What is the main purpose of wearing personal protective? (2marks)

Answers
The main purpose of PPE is to minimize exposure to hazards that cause
serious workplace injuries and illness.
2 marks for the correct answer
02. Give any four (4) qualities of good burnt bricks. (4marks)

Answers
 Brick should be sound and compact (1 mark)
 Free from cracks and other flaws (1mark)
 Should have sharp and square edges (1 mark)
 Bricks should neither over burnt nor under burnt (1mark)
 Brick should be free from lime pitting (1mark)
 The compressive strength of bricks should be in range of 2000
to 5000 psi (15 to 35 MPA) (1mark)
 Brick should not change in volume when wetted (1mark)
4 correct qualities are enough
03. Classify brick kilns based on airflow (3marks)

Answers
Based on the direction of air flow with respect to the brick setting in the kiln,
brick kilns can be classified as up draught kilns, down draught kilns and
cross draught kilns
1mark for each correct classification
04. List any 4 factors to be considered before constructing the kiln. (4marks)

Answers

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Factors to be considered before constructing a kiln
 The temperature range
 Type of the kiln(intermittent or continuous kiln)
 The firing cycle
 Production volume
 Enough space
 Environmental factors
 Does the kiln allow future extension?
 Fuel requirement
 Simple to construct
4 correct factors are enough, 1mark for each
05. What are any four (4) properties of a well-constructed kiln? (4marks)
Answer
Properties of well-constructed kiln:
 Simple to construct
 Relatively unaffected by thermal stresses in heating up and cooling
 Strong enough to withstand the mechanical stresses of loading and
unloading
 It must be unaffected by rain and weather
 Allow control of the entry of air at all times
4 correct qualities are enough, 1mark each
06. Give any three (3) tests carried out for burnt bricks quality checking.
(3marks)

Answer
Test for burnt brick are:
 Water Absorption test
 Compressive strength test
 Hardness test
 Shape and size test
 Soundness test
3 correct tests are enough, 1 mark each

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07. Pick up the three (3) ingredients used to make adobe blocks among the
following: (3marks)
a. Cement
b. Water
c. Kaolin
d. Coffee husks
e. Soil
Answers
Ingredients to make adobe bricks are:
 water (1mark)
 soil (1mark)
 coffee husks (1mark)
08. Give the comparison between these two (2) types of kilns: Intermittent
kilns and continuous kiln. (4marks)
Answer
Intermittent kilns (1mark)
In intermittent kilns bricks are fired in batches; fire is allowed to die out and
the bricks are allowed to cool after they have been fired. The kiln must be
emptied, refilled and a new fire has to be started for each load/batch of bricks.
(1 mark)
Continuous kiln (1mark)
In a continuous kiln fire is always burning and bricks are being warmed, fired
and cooled simultaneously in different parts of the kiln. Fired bricks are
continuously removed and replaced by green bricks in another part of the kiln
which is then heated. (1mark)

09. Explain the following two (2) stacking pattern for bricks: (2marks)

a) Stack brick pattern

b) Rat trap pattern

Answer:

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  Stack brick pattern also called jack on jack: it comprises rows of
bricks laid end to end. (1mark)
 Rat trap pattern: brick get placed in a vertical position instead of
horizontal position which creates the cavities or hollow space. (1mark)
10. List any four (4) fuel burning materials used in the clamp kiln. (4marks)

Answer
 Wood (1mark)
 Coal (1mark)
 Sawdust (1mark)
 mustard stalk, (1mark)
 rice husk, (1mark)
 coffee husk (1mark)
 industrial waste (1mark)
4 correct items are enough
11. Write down the two (2) methods of cooling burnt bricks. (2marks)

Answer
Methods of cooling burnt bricks:
 Natural method (1mark)
 artificial method (1mark)
12. Give any two (2) environmental problems caused by the use traditional
brick kiln. (3marks)

Answer
Environmental problems are:
 Air pollution (1mark)
 Climate change (1mark)

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  Serious health problems (1 mark)
13. Identify any four (4) tools and equipment needed for pavers’ mortar
mixing.

(4marks)

Answer
Tools and equipment needed:
 Hoe
 Wheelbarrow
 Mixing tub
 Dry bucket
 Trowel
4 correct answers are enough, 1mark each
14. What are the main parts of the kiln? Give any four (4). (4marks)
Answer

Parts of the kiln are

 Chimney (1 mark)
 Foundation (1mark)
 Walls (1 mark)
 Inner chambers (1mark)
15. Explain the process of de-molding brick safely. (3marks)
Answer
Before molding, to prevent the molded bricks from sticking to the molds
either sand is sprinkled on the inner sides of the mold or the mold is dipped in
water each time before molding is done. (2marks)
After the brick has been moldered, the mold is given a gentle stroke with
something hard and the mold lifted leaving the brick to dry on the ground.
(2marks)
16. There are different ways of hand moulding of bricks. List any two (2)
ways.
(4marks)
Answer
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There are 2 ways of hand moulding
 Ground moulding (2marks)
 Table moulding (2marks)
17. Give the two (2) methods of materials batching used before the
production of blocks.
(2marks)
Answers
Method of batching used:

 Volume batching
 Weight batching

1mark for each method

Section B: Attempt any three (3) questions (30 marks)

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18. After de-molding of bricks, drying is required. Identify any five (5)
requirements of drying place. (10marks) Answer
Requirements of Drying Place
 The drying area should be higher than the surroundings so that it does
not get flooded due to any occasional rain. (2marks)
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  It should have a gentle slope to facilitate drainage of rain water.
(2marks)

 A layer of sand should be spread at the drying area so as to keep it dry

in wet weather. (2 marks)

 The drying place should be prepared so that Initial stages of drying

bricks should be protected from severe sun and winds as otherwise
rapid drying of bricks might result in their developing cracks. (2marks)

 To protect the drying bricks from damage caused by occasional rains

temporary bamboo frames and sirki should be provided. (2marks)

19. Compare the clamp burn brick and the kiln burning of bricks in terms of:
(10marks)
a) Regulation of fire
b) Structure
c) Capacity
d) Quality of bricks
e) Time of burning and cooling.

Answer
Comparison between clamp and kiln burning of brick:

NO: Term Kiln burn brick Clamp burn brick

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1 Regulation of Fire can be controlled Fire is not under control which
fire and the required range sometimes may cause over-burning of
of temperature can be bricks.
adjusted
2 Structure Since it is a permanent Since it is a temporary structure, there
structure, the initial cost will be a low initial cost.
will be high
3 Skilled It requires skilled Skilled supervision is not necessary.
supervision supervision.

4 Capacity An average Approximately 20000 to 1 lakh (one

of 25000 bricks per day hundred thousand) bricks can be burnt
can be burnt in a kiln in a period of one to two months.
5 Quality of bricks Percentage of good Percentage of good quality bricks is
quality bricks is more small about 60% or so.
about 90% or so.
6 Time of burning The Time period of The Time period of burning and cooling
and cooling. burning and cooling is is about 2 to 6 months
about 12 to 13 days
7 Wastage of Minimum wastage of More wastage of heat because fire
heat. heat because of proper controlling and proper regulation is not
heat regulation system possible

5 correct differences are enough 2 marks for each

20. Distinguish between natural drying and artificial drying methods of soil
based bricks drying. (10marks)

Answer
There are two methods mainly natural and artificial drying
Natural drying (air and sun-dried)
1. First bricks are allowed to dry in position as released from the mould
(2marks)

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 2. They are turned to stand on edge (2marks)
3. Arranged in rows in hack with spaces of less than 1 cm between the
bricks; Stage 1 and 2 requires 2 to 3 days and stage 3 about one week
(2marks)
Artificial drying
When bricks are needed to dry on a large scale, then this artificial drying is
preferred. They are dried in special dryers who receive heat from specially
made furnaces for artificial drying. (4marks)

21. Depending on nature of clay and quality of fired brick requirement, bricks
are fired in a temperature range of 800–1100oC. Describe the stages of
firing dry bricks stacked in the kiln. (10marks)
Answer
The overall firing process can be categorized in three steps – heating, soaking
and cooling

a) Heating

 Removal of mechanical moisture: About 25-30% of water is added to

clay during the hand-molding or extrusion process. The first stage of
heating involves removal of this moisture (drying). Almost all the
mechanically held water is evaporated when temperature of the
0C
bricks reaches around 150 . However, the clay still retains its original
characteristics.

 Combustion of carbonaceous materials:

 Decomposition of clay molecules and release of combined water

(Dehydroxylation):

 Quartz inversion:

 Carbonate and sulphide decomposition:

 Vitrification

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 (4marks)

b) Soaking

The bricks are maintained at the finishing temperature for few hours in order
to attain uniform vitrification throughout the brick. This process is known as
soaking (3marks)

c) Cooling

During cooling the liquid solidifies to glass, bonding the whole mass together.
The cooling rate should be slow to avoid excessive thermal stresses in the
bricks, particularly once the quartz inversion temperature (573 0C) is reached,
since shrinkage occurs at this point. (3marks)

22. Giving the required shape to the prepared brick-earth is known as

moulding of bricks. Explain the process/steps of hand moulding of
bricks. (10marks)
Answers
The process of hand moulding
 The area of land on which moulding is to be done is leveled,plastered
smooth and sprinkled over with sand. (2 marks)
 now sides of mould is dipped in water to prevent clay sticking to the
moulds, after take a lump of well-prepared earth, the volume of which
is little more than that of the brick. this lump is shaped in hands to the
size and shape of brick. (2 marks)
 Now it is rolled in sand and dashed into the mould such a manner that
the mould is completely filled with earth. (2marks)
 The moulder then gives with his fists and presses in the corners and
edges with the thumbs. (2 marks)
 The surplus soil is then scrapped off and the top surface leveled.
(2marks)
 And finally the mould is given a gentle blow and lifted leaving the brick
on the ground. (2 marks)
5 consecutive steps are enough

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Section C: Attempt only one (1) question (15 marks)
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23. Burnt bricks shall be tested to determine their durability properties, such
as degree of burning, strength, quality and behavior of bricks in
weathering. Discuss the procedures of water absorption test on burnt
bricks. (15marks)

Answer
Procedure of water absorption test on bricks
a. Apparatus
Oven
Weight balance
Tray
b. Procedure
1. Take any five random bricks from a lot of brick as a specimen
2. Dry the specimen in a ventilated oven at a temperature of 1050c to
1150c till it achieves considerably constant mass.

3. Cool the specimen to room temperature and take it weight ( M1)

4. When the specimen is completely, then immerse it in the clean
water at the room temperature for 24 hours.
5. Remove the specimen from the water after 24 hours and wipe out
water with a damp cloth and weigh the specimen after 3miutes of
removing from the water (M2)
6. Percentage of water absorption of brick by its mass after 24 hours
is calculated by the following formula
7.

8. For 1st class brick should not more than 15%, 2nd class 20% 3rd class
25%
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 5 correct procedures are enough, 3 marks for each
24. Before Moulding soil based brick, proper clay preparation is required.
Explain the following stages: (15marks)

a) Digging
b) Cleaning
c) Weathering
d) Blending
e) Tempering
Answer
i. Digging: The clay which is dug out is spread on level ground, just a little
deeper than the general ground level. The height of the heap of clay is
about 60–120 cm. (3marks)
ii. Cleaning: The clay should be made free from stones, pebbles and
vegetable matter. If these particles are in excess, the clay is to be washed
and screened, which is considered to be uneconomical. (3 marks)

iii. Weathering: The softening of clay is done by exposing it to the

atmosphere. The period of exposure varies from weeks to full seasons. (3
marks)
iv. Blending: The clay is made loose and any ingredient to be added is spread
out at its top. Blending indicates intimate mixing. A small portion of clay is
taken every time for mixing. (3marks)
v. Tempering: In this stage, the clay is brought to a proper degree of
hardness and it is made fit for molding. Water in the required quantity is
added and the whole mass is mixed so as to form a mass of uniform
character. A large-scale tempering is usually done in a pug mill. The
process of grinding clay with water and making it plastic is known as
pugging. (3marks)

5 well explained stages are enough

END OF MARKING GUIDES!

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