Top 12 Best Properties of Bricks & Uses of Bricks (Useful Guide)
Top 12 Best Properties of Bricks & Uses of Bricks
What is a Brick
A brick can be defined as a small unit of building material, normally made from fired clay and then secured with mortar with a bonding agent comprising of sand, cement, and water. Bricks are rectangular blocks of baked clay used for building walls, which are usually red or brown. Brick is the material made up of these blocks.
Traditionally popular material, bricks retain heat and can with-stands corrosion as well as resists fire. Because each brick unit is small and usually 4 inches by 8 inches long, bricks are ideal materials for building structures in confined spaces, as well as for curved designs. Moreover, with minimal upkeep, brick buildings generally last a long time
These are properties of good bricks:
Colour of the Bricks
The Colour of the bricks should be uniform and bright.
The Shape of the bricks
Standard Bricks should have planed faces. Bricks should have sharp and true right-angled corners.
Water Absorption of the bricks
When immersing the good brick in water for 24 hours, water absorption should not be more than 20 percent by weight. For class-I works, this limit is 15 percent.
Size of the Bricks
Bricks should be of standard sizes as recommended by country codes.
Fire Resistance of Bricks
The fire resistance of bricks is usually good. In fact, good bricks are used to encase steel columns to protect them from fire.
The Texture of the Bricks
Bricks should possess dense, fine, and uniform texture. They should not possess cavities, loose grit, and unburnt lime.
Soundness of the Bricks
Bricks, when struck with a hammer or with another brick, a good brick should produce a metallic sound.
The Hardness of the Bricks
Finger scratching should not produce any mark or impression on the brick.
Strength of the Bricks
The crushing strength of brick should be more than 3.5 N per mm2. A field test for good strength is that when dropped from a height of 900mm to 1.0 mm on hard ground, the brick should not break into pieces.
The Efflorescence of the Bricks
Bricks should not have white patches when soaked in water for 24 hours and then allowed to dry in the shade. These White patches are because of the presence of sulfate of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. They keep the masonry permanently in damp and wet conditions.
Thermal Conductivity of the Bricks
Bricks should have low thermal conductivity so that buildings built with them are cool in summer and warm in winter.
Sound Insulation of the Bricks
Heavier bricks are poor insulators of sound, while the light weight and hollow bricks provide good sound insulation.
Uses of Bricks In Construction
Bricks are used in the following construction works:
- A Brick is used as a building block in construction.
- Brick is used for the lining of ovens, furnaces, and chimneys.
- A brick is used to protect steel columns from fire.
- Brick is also used as aggregates in providing waterproofing to R.C.C. roofs.
- Brick is often used as pavers for footpaths and cycle tracks.
- Bricks can also are used for lining sewer lines.