BASICS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Lecture no. 11
ECE-A
Date-13/10/2025
BRICKS
Bricks:
• moulding good clay into a block, sun dry it and then burn it.
Size of bricks:
Standard Nominal (Standard + thickness of mortar)
190 mm×90 mm×90 mm. 200 mm×100 mm×100 mm
190 mm×90 mm×40 mm. 200 mm×100 mm×50 mm
Composition of Bricks:
1) Alumina
→20 to 30% of Alumina. (Al2O3).
→ imparts plasticity
→ excess of Al2O3 causes shrinkage and warping of bricks during drying and burning.
2) Silica
→ 50−60%.
free combined
→ mechanically mixed with clay
→ exists in a chemical composition with alumina.
→ cracking, shrinkage, warping of raw bricks are prevented.
→ Excess Si makes bricks brittle in nature.
3) Lime
→ Lime not exceed >5%.
→ finely powdered form to prevent flaking.
→ excess lime causes bare bricks to
melt and loose its shape
4) Oxides of Iron
→5−6% is desirable.
→ impart red colour
5) Magnesia
→ small quantity gives yellow tint and decreases shrinkage.
→ excess causes decay of bricks.
BASICS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Lecture no. 11
ECE-A
Date-13/10/2025
TYPES OF BRICKS
• Building → construction of walls
• Paving → vitrified bricks and used as pavers.
(vitrified bricks -fired at higher temp. and longer period of time than conventional
bricks to make it harder and impervious to absorption of water (homogenous state))
• Fire bricks → withstand very high furnace temperature.
e.g. Silica bricks
• Special bricks → bricks are different to their shape and purpose of use.
→ shaped bricks
→ Facing bricks - outer face of masonry.
- plastering is not req.
→ Perforated bricks - area of perforation of 30 to 45%.
-uniformly distributed.
• Burnt Clay Hollow bricks → Light in weight; partition walls; provide thermal
insulation.
• Sewer Bricks → construction of sewer lines.
→ average strength of bricks should be 17.5 N/mm2.
→ water absorption <10%.
• Acid Resistant → used for floorings subjected to acid attack.
→ linings of chambers/sewers
→ made of clay or shale with low lime and iron, flint or sand, and
vitrified at high temperature.
PROPERTIES OF GOOD BRICKS
1) Colour → uniform and bright.
2) Shape → plane faces. Should have sharp and true right-angled corners.
3) Size → Standard size as prescribed by codes.
4) Texture → fine, dense, uniform texture. Should not have fissures, cavities, loose
grit, unburnt lime.
5) Soundness → when struck with hammer or hit with another brick, should produce
a metallic ring.
BASICS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Lecture no. 11
ECE-A
Date-13/10/2025
6) Hardness → Finger scratching should not produce any impression on the brick.
7) Strength → Crushing strength of brick should not be less than 3.5 N/mm2.
When dropped from 0.9 to 1 mm height, brick should not break into
pieces.
8) Water Absorption → After immersion of brick in water for 24 hrs,
WA ≯20% by wt.
9) Efflorescence → Bricks should not show white patches when soaked in water for
24 hrs and then allowed to dry in shade. White patches are due to the presence of
sulphates of Calcium, Mg, and K. They keep masonry permanently in wet and damp
conditions.
10) Thermal Conductivity → low thermal conductivity.
11) Sound Insulation → Heavier bricks are poor insulators while light weight and
hollow bricks provide good sound insulation.
12) Fire Resistance → should be good.
CLASSIFICATION OF BRICKS ON THEIR QUALITY
First Class Bricks
• Std. shape and size.
• burnt in kilns.
• 10.5 N/mm2 (Minimum crushing strength)
Second Class Bricks
• ground moulded and burnt in kilns.
• edges may not be sharp and uniform
• surface may be rough.
• used for construction of walls which are going to be plastered.
• 7 N/mm2 (Minimum crushing strength)
Third Class Bricks
• ground moulded and burnt in clamps.
• edges are distorted.
• produce dull sound when struck together.
• used for temporary and unimportant structures.
• 3.5 N/mm2 (Minimum crushing strength)
BASICS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Lecture no. 11
ECE-A
Date-13/10/2025
Fourth Class Bricks
• over burnt bricks.
• dark in colour.
• shape is irregular.
• used as aggregates for concrete foundation, floors, roads.