Building Materials and Construction
Dr. Prakash Somani
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, J&K, 190006 India
Learning Objectives
❑ Understand the different types of bricks used in construction.
❑ Learn the key characteristics of each brick type.
❑ Explore the applications of bricks in various building structures.
❑ Analyze the sustainability and ecological impacts of brick production and
use.
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Introduction to Bricks
❑ Bricks are small rectangular blocks typically made from clay or concrete.
They are one of the oldest and most common building materials, widely
used for their durability and versatility in construction.
❑ Bricks have been used for thousands of years. Early examples include
sun-dried mud bricks from the Mesopotamian civilization around 5000
BC. As technology evolved, the process of firing bricks in kilns was
developed, leading to stronger, more durable bricks used in Roman
structures and later in modern construction.
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Introduction to Bricks
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Types of Bricks
❑ Clay Bricks
❑ Fly Ash Bricks
❑ Concrete Bricks
❑ Engineering Bricks
❑ Calcium Silicate Bricks
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Clay Bricks
❑ Composition:
➢ Clay bricks are made from natural clay mixed with water and sometimes
sand or lime.
❑ Types:
➢ Sun-dried Bricks: These are the simplest form of bricks, made by air
drying in the sun. They are not very strong and are mainly used in dry
climates.
➢ Burnt Clay Bricks: These are the traditional bricks used in most
construction. Fired in kilns, they are stronger and more durable than
sun-dried bricks.
❑ Applications:
➢ Clay bricks are used in a wide variety of applications including load-
bearing walls, pavements, and structural columns. 6
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Fly Ash Bricks
❑ Composition:
➢ These bricks are made using fly ash, cement, lime, and water.
❑ Advantages:
➢ They are environmentally friendly as they use industrial waste (fly
ash), are lightweight, and have low water absorption compared to
traditional clay bricks.
❑ Applications:
➢ They are ideal for use in non-load-bearing walls and partitions.
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Concrete Bricks
❑ Composition:
➢ Made from a mix of cement, sand, and aggregates, concrete bricks
are durable and have high compressive strength.
❑ Characteristics:
➢ Concrete bricks can be produced in various colors and textures,
making them popular in decorative and facade applications.
❑ Applications:
➢ Commonly used in external walls, garden landscaping, and
pavements.
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Engineering Bricks
❑ Characteristics:
➢ Known for their high compressive strength, low porosity, and
resistance to water. They are often used in structural applications.
❑ Applications:
➢ Sewage systems, foundations, and load-bearing walls where moisture
resistance is needed.
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Calcium Silicate Bricks
❑ Composition:
➢ Made from sand and lime, calcium silicate bricks are durable and
eco-friendly.
❑ Characteristics:
➢ They provide soundproofing and insulation, making them ideal for
high-rise buildings.
❑ Applications:
➢ They are used in both load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls.
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Characteristics of Bricks
❑ Strength:
➢ Bricks vary in compressive strength depending on their composition. For example, clay bricks have
high strength (20-100 MPa), while fly ash bricks are lighter but still strong. Engineering bricks have
the highest strength and are used in critical load-bearing structures.
❑ Durability:
➢ Weather resistance of bricks. Burnt clay bricks are highly durable, while fly ash and concrete bricks
have lower weather resistance. Frost resistance, where bricks need to withstand freeze-thaw cycles in
cold climates.
➢ Efflorescence: A common issue in bricks where salts are drawn to the surface and leave white marks.
This usually happens in high-porosity bricks.
➢ Absorption: Higher absorption leads to weaker structures over time. Standard clay bricks have water
absorption rates between 6-20%, while fly ash bricks are lower (around 10%). 11
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Characteristics of Bricks
❑ Thermal Conductivity:
➢ Bricks are generally good insulators. The thermal mass of bricks, which helps them retain heat and
regulate internal temperatures.
➢ Fly ash bricks, for example, are better insulators than traditional clay bricks, making them more
energy-efficient.
❑ Aesthetic Qualities:
➢ Aesthetic aspects of bricks—colors, textures, and finishes that can influence their application in
design.
➢ Highlight that bricks can vary widely in color depending on the type of clay and firing temperature,
from red to yellow to gray.
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Applications of Bricks
❑ Structural Walls
❑ Paving
❑ Fireplaces
❑ Decorative Features
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Brick Size
❑ Different Types of the Brick basis of Dimension
➢ Modular Brick: In modular brick, mortar thickness is added with the brick dimensions. The dimension of
Modular brick in mm 194 x 92 x 57 (7 5⁄8 × 3 5⁄8 × 2 1⁄4 inches).
➢ Modular Economo: Dimension of this brick in mm 194 x 92 x 92
➢ Engineering Brick: In cases where specific strength, porosity, resistance to acid or gas is required,
engineering brick provided a good solution. The dimension of this brick in mm 194 x 92 x 71 (7 5⁄8 × 3 5⁄8
× 2 3⁄4 inches)
➢ Jumbo Modular: Dimension of this brick in mm 194 x 92 x 70
➢ Jumbo Standard: Dimension of this brick in mm 203 x 92 x 70
➢ King: Dimension of this brick in mm 244 x 76 x 67
➢ Queen: Dimension of this brick in mm 244 x 79 x 70
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Brick Size
❑ Standard Brick Dimensions
➢ United Kingdom Standard: 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm
➢ United States Standard: 203 × 92 × 57 mm
➢ Australia Standard : 230 x 110 x 76 mm
➢ Cyclonic Areas Standard: Dimension of this brick in mm 194 x 92 x
70
➢ Bangladesh Standard: 9 1⁄2 x 4 1⁄2 x 2 3⁄4 inch
➢ India Standard : The standard brick dimension is 190 x 90 x 90 mm
(length x depth x height) as prescribed by BIS. With mortar thickness,
the dimension of the brick remains 200 x 100 x 100 mm
➢ Nepal Standard: 240 x 115 x 57 mm
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Tests on Bricks
✓ Absorption test
✓ Crushing strength test
✓ Hardness test
✓ Shape and size
✓ Color test
✓ Soundness test
✓ Structure of brick
✓ Presence of soluble salts (Efflorescence Test)
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Absorption Test on Bricks
Absorption test is conducted on brick to find out the amount of
moisture content absorbed by brick under extreme conditions. In this
test, sample dry bricks are taken and weighed. After weighing these
bricks are placed in water with full immersing for a period of 24 hours.
Then weigh the wet brick and note down its value. The difference
between dry and wet brick weights will give the amount of water
absorption. For a good quality bricks the amount of water absorption
should not exceed 20% of weight of dry brick.
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Crushing Strength or Compressive Strength
Crushing strength of bricks is determined by placing brick in
compression testing machine. After placing the brick in
compression testing machine, apply load on it until brick
breaks. Note down the value of failure load and find out the
crushing strength value of brick. Minimum crushing strength
of brick is 3.50 N/[Link] it is less than 3.50 N/mm2, then it is
not useful for construction purpose.
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Crushing Strength or Compressive Strength
➢ First Class Brick: The brick which has a compressive strength of 10 N/mm2 is called as a First-class
brick.
➢ Second Class Brick: The brick with compressive strength of 7 N/mm2 is called as a Second-class brick
➢ Building brick: The brick which we use for building has a compressive strength of 3.5 N/mm2
➢ Sundried Brick: The sun-dried brick has a compressive strength of 1.5 N/mm2 to 2.5 N/mm2
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Hardness Test
A good brick should resist scratches against sharp things. So,
for this test a sharp tool or finger nail is used to make scratch
on brick. If there is no scratch impression on brick then it is
said to be hard brick.
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Shape and Size Test
Shape and size of bricks are very important consideration. All bricks
used for construction should be of same size. The shape of bricks
should be purely rectangular with sharp edges. Standard brick size
consists length x breadth x height as 19cm x 9cm x 9cm. To perform
this test, select 20 bricks randomly from brick group and stack them
along its length , breadth and height and compare. So, if all bricks
similar size then they are qualified for construction work.
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Soundness Test
Soundness test of bricks shows the nature of bricks against sudden
impact. In this test, 2 bricks are chosen randomly and struck with one
another. Then sound produced should be clear bell ringing sound and
brick should not break. Then it is said to be good brick.
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Dr. Prakash Somani
+91-8233304457
Dr. Prakash Somani prakashsomani197@[Link]
Building Materials and Construction 23