Brick



- **What are they made of? **   "Bricks" may be made from clay, shale, soft slate, calcium silicate, concrete, or shaped from quarried stone. However, true bricks are ceramic, and therefore created by the action of heat and cooling. - **What are they used for? **   Bricks are used for building, block paving and pavement. - **How many types of brick are there? **   The various types differ in their formation and composition. Building brick, also called common, hard, or kiln-run brick; face brick; clinker brick; pressed brick; glazed brick and Fire brick. - **What is the meaning of brick laying techniques? **    - Brick laying is the art of joining bricks together to create a sound structure. - **Describe 2 brick laying techniques ** - Bricks are laid in courses, on a bed of mortar, with taut string linseed as a guide to line and level. The horizontal joint is the "bed joint"; the vertical joints are perpendicular.The ends of walls are built first, with the level and verticality of the bricks checked repeatedly as the corners/ends are raised. The gauging is also checked, to ensure that 4 courses measures 300mm. - **What are their advantages and disadvantages? **    - Brick is virtually maintenance free, will not burn, is energy efficient, can block sound, and are excellent for resale. The sound blocking qualities and the warm, cosy look of bricks means that it can be a very efficient design element in the bedroom. However, they add a lot of weight to the foundation, is expensive to repair and it is difficult to change the look of the brick if you tire of it.



Compared with stone, brick is more favorable for construction, for its fire-and-weather resisting qualities and for the ease of production, transportation, and laying. Although the brick usually has a rectangular form, It can be produced with other forms to effectively meet the needs of the construction.

Furthermore, with the tones of brick can create true piece of art, as it gives the feeling of warmth. The architect Louis Kahn, for example, at the Indian Institute of Management, used brick as main material, which to some extent it gave a particular character to the building.

Surely, now is the main material for any building, for all its favorable characteristics. Even, its demand is increasing. And any architect with interest in the material can get amazing results.



“Brick compares favorably with stone as a structural material for its fire-and-weather resisting qualities and for the ease of production, transportation, and laying”
 * a.Comparison and contrast**

Bricks may be used in construction only in conjunction with mortar, since the unit is too small, too light, and too irregular to be stabilized by weight
 * b. Description**

“Special shapes can be produced by molding… (for example, wedge-shaped bricks are sometimes employed in arch construction…)”
 * c. Exemplification**

“The versatility of the medium was expanded in ancient Rome by improvements in the manufacture of both brick and mortar and by new techniques of laying and bonding.”
 * d. Cause/Effect**

Brick which has been used since the 4 th millennium BC, was the chief building material in the ancient Near East.
 * e. Chronology**