Bricks: Definition, Types, Shapes, Properties, Classifications & Uses
A brick is a small rectangular block commonly made of fired or sun-dried clay. Bricks are obtained by moulding clay into blocks which are then dried and burnt. It is the oldest building block to replace stone. Bricks manufacturing started through hand moulding, clamp burning and sun drying. Better techniques of moulding and drying of bricks are available today through technological development and better knowledge of the properties of raw materials.
Common sizes of bricks are 90mm x 90mm x 90mm ANDÂ 190mm x 90mm x40mm. With mortal joints, the sizes are taken as 200mm x 100mm x100mm AND 200mm x100mm x50mm.
Old brick sizes given in inches which are still commonly used in some parts of the world like India include: 8 3/4, 4 1/2, 2 5/8.
Types and Shapes of Bricks
Types of bricks include:
1. Building bricks: Building bricks are used for the construction of walls in buildings.
2. Paving bricks:Â Paving bricks are vitrified bricks. They are used as pavers for roads, floors and ground surfaces.
3. Fire bricks:Â They are bricks specially made to withstand furnace temperature. Silica bricks fall within this category.
4. Special bricks:Â Special bricks are special kinds of bricks. They differ from the commonly used types of bricks in form and structure and with respect to their purpose of formation. The following are some common types of special bricks:
- Specially shaped bricks
- Perforated building bricks
- Facing bricks
- Burnt clay hollow bricks
- Sewer bricks
- Acid resistant bricks
Specially Shaped Bricks are bricks of special shapes manufactured to meet the requirements of different situations.
Examples include: Cant brick, Plint brick, Bull nosed brick, Coping brick, Channel brick and Cornice brick.
Coping and capping bricks are used for covering the top of parapet walls or free-standing walls. They come in various shapes and forms ranging from triangular ones, curved, half-round, saddleback, to apex and others. The difference between the two is, while capping bricks sit flushed with the top surface of the wall, coping bricks leave a space of at least 45mm at both sides of the wall, and incorporate a drip at the underside for shedding water away from the wall’s top surface.
Channel bricks come in different shapes. They are often moulded to the shapes of channels, gutters or liquid conveyors.
