Bricks and Blocks

Bricks - History
• Source - Clay

• Sundry bricks (Adobes)

• 8000 BCE (Jericho - Palestine)
• 7500 BCE (Syria)
• 7000 BCE (Egypt, Indus Valley)
• 2000 BCE (China)

• Burnt clay bricks

• 2900 BCE (Indus Valley)
• 1000 BCE (China)

• Why clay bricks?

 Bricks - Classification
• Classification
• Based on Use (Common Bricks, Engineering Bricks (heavy Loads - BS EN
771-1), Facing Bricks, Refractory Bricks, Acid resistant bricks (IS
4860:1996), Special bricks (silicon carbide, hollow brick, perforated brick,
bull nose brick, light weight clay bricks)

• Based on Physical requirements (colour, dimension, water absorption &

efflorescence)
• Class I, Class II, Class III

• Based on Strength requirements (IS 2180:1997 & IS 1077: 1997)

• Class Designation- 40,45&35,30,25,20,17.5,15,12.5,10.0,7.5,5.0,3.5 (MPa)

• Based on materials used (Fly ash, calcium silicate..)

 Dimensions & weight of bricks
• Traditional & Metric size (modular bricks) (IS 1077:1997)
• Traditional – 230 mm (L) × 110 mm (W) × 70 mm (D)
• Modular
• Actual - 190 mm (L) × 90 mm (W) × 90 mm (D)
• Nominal - 200 mm (L) × 100 mm (W) × 100 mm (D)

• Frog – Depression made at the top of the brick

• Weight of brick – 3 to 3.5 kg

Clay Brick - Composition (IS 2117:1975)
• Clay : 20-30 % by weight

• Silt : 20-35 % by weight

• Sand : 35-50 % by weight

• Clay + Silt > 50 %

• CaO + MgO < 1 % (alluvial soil)

• Water soluble materials < 1 % by weight

 Functions of constituents of brick earth
• Sand (Silica) – Prevents shrinkage, cracking and warping of bricks

• Clay (Alumina) – makes brick earth plastic and lends hardness

• Lime – Flux

• Oxides of iron – red colour brick

• Magnesia in clay with oxide of iron – yellow brick

 Harmful agents – Brick Earth

• Stones and gravels

• Alkaline salts

• Limestone

• Organic matter
 Burnt Clay Brick - Making Process

• Identification of suitable clay (through Field tests/Lab. tests) + Selection of site

(IS 2117: 1975)

• Preparation of clay (IS 2117:1975)

• Moulding of clay

• Drying of bricks

• Burning of bricks
 Identification of suitable of clay – Field tests
• Suitability of clay
• Field tests
• Smearing/kneading Tests
• Soil Shape test
• Ball Test
• Sedimentation Test
• Lime test

http://civilblog.org/2014/04/21/field-tests-on-soil-to-determine-suitability-of-soil-for-brick-manufacturing/
 Identification of Suitable clay – Lab. tests
• Laboratory tests

Volume of soil
• Liquid Limit (IS 2720 - Part 5)
Liquid
• Plastic limit (IS 2720 - Part 5) Plastic

Semi-
Solid
Solid

• Shrinkage limit (IS 2720 - Part 6) Water Content

wS wP wL

(Shrinkage limit)

(Plastic limit)

(Liquid limit)
 Preparation of clay
• Weathering Process:
• Exposed to weather at least for one month
• Soil needs to be turned twice and it is ensured wet through out the period of weathering.
• To disintegrate boulders of clay under the action of atmospheric agencies to make it a
uniform mass
• To eliminate the impurities which get oxidized.

• Tempering process:
• After weathering, required quantity of water should be mixed with soil
• Addition of sand and other materials may be made at this stage
• The moistened soil is kneaded to a plastic mass and then fed in to pug mill
 Moulding of Clay
• Soft mud process (Hand moulding)
• Clay is prepared using 25 – 30 % water and pressed in to the hand mould.
• Shrinkage allowance  10-12% is provided.

• Stiff mud process (Machine moulding)

• Clay mixed with 12 – 18 % of water.
• Two stages of machine moulding
1.Kneading and tempering is done in the pug mill.
2.bricks are formed by extruding stiff clay through a mould or orifice in the extruding
machine as continuous mass
• Cut into pieces of correct sizes with single wire or number of wires

• Semi dry process (Machine moulding)

• Only 7 to 10 % of water is added.
• Pressed to 1000 to 1200 kg/cm2 with the aid of a plunger machine to form bricks.
• No drying required
 Drying of bricks
Purpose
Period
Types
1. Natural drying
2. Artificial drying (Temp < 120˚C)
Types:
1. Hot floor drier
2. Tunnel drier
Types:
1. Periodic
2. Continuous
Advantages: Economic when compared with Hot floor drier
 Burning of Clay
• Purpose

• Temperature – 1100˚C, beyond 1300˚C – vitrified bricks

• Alumina + silica bind together in the presence of lime and oxides of iron

• Clamp or Kiln (Intermittent & continuous)

 Properties of bricks

• Strength (IS 3495 : Part 1, 2002)

• Water Absorption (IS 3495 : Part 2, 2002)

• Efflorescence (IS 3495 : Part 3, 2002)

• Warpage (IS 3495 : Part 4, 2002)

 Quick Field test on bricks
• Colour
• Edges and corners
• Ringing sound
• Rubbing the bricks
• Dropping the bricks
• Dimensions tolerance
• Hardness
• Structure
• Weight
 Brick – Is it sustainable ?

• Minimal waste during production, on-site and in packaging

• CO2 emissions per m² of brickwork over 12 months, based on an expected

average life of 150 years, are just 0.000186 tonnes CO 2/m²/annum.

• Embodied carbon for brick is 0.244 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of bricks

• The calculation based on a typical 2 storeyed home (each 31 m 2), equates to

less than 15 kg of CO2 per year over 150 years (for UK brick of 2.35 kg)
 Stabilised Earth Blocks (IS 1725: 2013)

• Earth blocks
• A building material made primarily from damp soil
compressed at high pressure to form blocks
• Uses a mechanical press to form blocks out of an
appropriate mix of fairly dry inorganic subsoil, non-
expansive clay and fine aggregates

• Stabilised earth blocks

Suitable quality of soil • If earth blocks are stabilized with a chemical binder such
as Portland cement, they are known as stabilised earth
Stabilizer (Cement, lime etc.) blocks

Manufacture Stabilised Earth Blocks

http://www.earth-auroville.com/compressed_stabilised_earth_block_en.php
 Tests (As per IS 1725: 2013)
• Dry Density of the Block The dry density of blocks being the average of three
specimens shall not be less than 1750 kg/m3

• Compressive Strength The minimum average compressive strength of blocks

shall be 3.5 MPa

The average water absorption of the blocks after

• Water Absorption Test immersion in cold water for 24 hours shall not be more
than 18% by weight

• Linear Expansion on saturation The linear expansion on saturation of the blocks being the
average of three specimens shall not exceed 0.10%

• Weathering Test The maximum loss of weight being the average of three
specimens shall not exceed 3%
 Why do we need alternate bricks?

• Top fertile soil

• Demand

• Waste materials (Fly ash,…)

• Relatively higher energy is used than fly ash bricks

Solution : Clay bricks substitutes!

 Clay brick substitutes
• Fly ash bricks (IS 12894:2003)
• Raw Materials - Fly ash + Lime or Fly ash + Cement
• Fly ash (20 - 80%)
• Crushing strength, uniform shape and lighter in weight (than clay bricks)
• Calcium silicate or sand lime bricks (IS 4139:2004)
• Raw materials – lime, silica, sand and water
• Material is mixed, shaped, pressed and loaded - autoclaves
• Higher cost
• Concrete bricks (Solid & Hollow blocks – IS 2185 Part 1)
• Raw materials – cement, sand, aggregate and coloring agents as additives
• Mixture is pressed and vibrated into moulds and then cured
• Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks (IS 2185 – Part 3) and (IS 6041)
• Raw materials – Cement, Fly ash, Gypsum, Limestone powder, Aluminium Powder
• Density, Compressive strength and Thermal Conductivity
 Uses of bricks
• Walls (load bearing and no load bearing [Internal walls and cavity walls])

• Arches

• Damp proof course

• Chimneys

• Freestanding boundary walls

• Earth retaining walls

• Drainage and sewerage

• Pavers (Walkways)

• Parapets

• Façade
 References
• IS 2180 (1997) Specification for heavy duty burnt clay building bricks
• IS 2117 Guide for manufacture of hand made burnt clay building bricks
• IS : 1077 – 1992 Common burnt clay building bricks
• IS : 1200 (Part-III) – 1976 Methods of measurement of buildings and civil engineering works – Brick Work
• IS : 2212 – 1991 Code of practice for brick work
• IS : 3102 – 1971 Classification of burnt clay solid bricks
• IS : 3495 (Part I to IV) 2002 Methods of tests on burnt clay building bricks
• IS 4860:1996 Acid Resistant Bricks
• IS 4139:2004 Calcium Silicate bricks
• IS 13757:1993 Burnt clay fly as building bricks
• IS 12894:2003 Fly ash lime bricks
• Civil Engineering Materials – TTTI Chandigarh (google books)
• http://www.brick.org.uk/resources/brick-industry/sustainability/
• http://www.civilblog.org
• David Doran and Bob Carther, Construction materials reference book, 2013
• Fly ash – A resources material for construction sector, NTPC Limited.
• Effect Of Varying Cement Proportions On Properties Of Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) - A Sustainable Low-Cost Housing Material by Ayan Anil Garg, Amit
Yalawar, Anuradha Kamath, Jagannath Vinay
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_earth_block
• http://www.earth-auroville.com/compressed_stabilised_earth_block_en.php
 Selected data from the Inventory of Carbon and Energy ('ICE') prepared by the University of Bath (UK)
Material Energy MJ per kg Carbon kg CO2 per kg
Aggregate 0.083 0.0048
Concrete (1:1.5:3) 1.11 0.159
Bricks (common) 3 0.24
Concrete block (Medium density) 0.67 0.073
Aerated block 3.5 0.3
Limestone block 0.85
Marble 2 0.116
Cement mortar (1:3) 1.33 0.208
Steel (general, av. recycled content) 20.1 1.37
Stainless steel 56.7 6.15
Expanded Polystyrene insulation 88.6 2.55
Straw bale 0.91
Mineral fibre roofing tile 37 2.7
Clay tile 6.5 0.45
Aluminium (general & incl 33% recycled) 155 8.24
Plasterboard 6.75 0.38
Gypsum plaster 1.8 0.12
Glass 15 0.85
PVC (general) 77.2 2.41
Vinyl flooring 65.64 2.92
Terrazzo tiles 1.4 0.12
Ceramic tiles 12 0.74
Iron (general) 25 1.91
Copper (average incl. 37% recycled) 42 2.6
Lead (incl 61% recycled) 25.21 1.57
Ceramic sanitary ware 29 1.51
Special shaped bricks
Pug mill and extruding machine
Clamp
Intermittent kiln
Continuous kiln - Process
 Continuous kilns

Bull`s trench Kiln Hoffman`s Kiln

 Compressive strength (IS 3495: Part 1)
• No. of Specimens – 5
• Remove unevenness and Immersed in water for 24 hours (25 – 29˚C)
• Fill frog surface with cement mortar (Cement : coarse sand (3mm down) 1:3)
• Cover with damp jute bag for 24 hours and immerse for 3 days under water.
• After 3 days, wipe the excess moisture and keep bricks with mortar face upwards
for testing by placing them between 3-ply plywood sheets of 3 mm thickness
• Rate of loading 140 N/ mm2.
• Note maximum load at failure
• Compressive strength = Maximum load at failure (N)
Average area of the bed faces (mm2)
 Water absorption (IS 3495 : Part 2)

• No. of Specimens – 5

• Dry the specimen - 105 to 115°C and cool it. (W1)

• Immerse the specimen in water (27°C) – 24 hours (W2)

• Water absorption (%) = (W2 – W1) / W1 × 100

• Water absorption shall not be more than 20 % (for Class I Brick)

 Efflorescence (IS 3495:Part 3)
• No. of specimens - 5
• Place the end of the bricks in water (25 mm)
• When the water has been absorbed and bricks appear to be dry, examine the
bricks for efflorescence
• Categories
• Nil (0%) Bricks for
• Slight (10 %) construction
• Moderate (< 50 %), Powdering and flaking
• Heavy (> 50 %), Powdering and flaking
• Serious, extreme powdering and flaking
 Warpage (IS 3495:Part 4)

• No of specimens – 5

• Glass plate, steel ruler or measuring wedge

• Concave warpage

• Convex warpage

• Measure the height (mm) and report as warpage