What is a Brick?

It is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term brick denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured construction blocks.It can be joined using mortar, adhesives or by interlocking them. It are produced in numerous classes, types, materials, and sizes which vary with region and time period, and are produced in bulk quantities.

Block is a similar term referring to a rectangular building unit composed of similar materials, but is usually larger than this. Lightweight brick (also called lightweight blocks) are made from expanded clay aggregate.

Fired brick are one of the longest-lasting and strongest building materials, sometimes referred to as artificial stone, and have been used since circa 4000 BC. Air-dried brick, also known as mud brick, has a history older than fired brick and has an additional ingredient of a mechanical binder such as straw.

They are laid in courses and numerous patterns known as bonds, collectively known as brickworks, and may be laid in various kinds of mortar to hold them together to make a durable structure.

There are Three basic types of brick: un-fired, fired, and chemically set blocks . Each type is manufactured differently.

Mudbrick

Unfired bricks, also known as mud brick, are made from a wet, clay-containing soil mixed with straw or similar binders. They are air-dried until ready for use.

Fired-brick

Fired-bricks are burned in a kiln which makes them durable. Modern, fired, clay-bricks are formed in one of three processes – soft mud, dry press, or extruded. Depending on the country, either the extruded or soft mud method is the most common, since they are the most economical.

Normally, it contain the following ingredients:

1. Silica (sand) – 50% to 60% by weight
2. Alumina (clay) – 20% to 30% by weight
3. Lime – 2 to 5% by weight
4. Iron oxide – ≤ 7% by weight
5. Magnesia – less than 1% by weight

Shaping methods

Three main methods are used for shaping the raw materials into bricks to be fired:

• Moulded-bricks – These blocks start with raw clay, preferably in a mix with 25–30% sand to reduce shrinkage. The clay is first ground and mixed with water to the desired consistency. The clay is then pressed into steel moulds with a hydraulic press. The shaped clay is then fired ("burned") at 900–1000 °C to achieve strength.
• Dry-pressed-bricks – The dry-press method is similar to the soft-mud moulded method, but starts with a much thicker clay mix, so it forms more accurate, sharper-edged bricks. The greater force in pressing and the longer burn make this method more expensive.
• Extruded-bricks – For extruded blocks the clay is mixed with 10–15% water (stiff extrusion) or 20–25% water (soft extrusion) in a pugmill. This mixture is forced through a die to create a long cable of material of the desired width and depth. This mass is then cut into blocks of the desired length by a wall of wires. Most structural blocks are made by this method as it produces hard, dense blocks , and suitable dies can produce perforations as well. The introduction of such holes reduces the volume of clay needed, and hence the cost. Hollow blocks are lighter and easier to handle, and have different thermal properties from solid blocks . The cut blocks are hardened by drying for 20 to 40 hours at 50 to 150 °C before being fired. The heat for drying is often wasted heat from the kiln.

In many modern brickworks, blocks are usually fired in a continuously fired tunnel kiln, in which the blocks are fired as they move slowly through the kiln on conveyors, rails, or kiln cars, which achieves a more consistent brick product. The blocks often have lime, ash, and organic matter added, which accelerates the burning process.

The other major kiln type is the Bull's Trench Kiln (BTK), based on a design developed by British engineer W. Bull in the late 19th century.

An oval or circular trench is dug, 6–9 metres wide, 2-2.5 metres deep, and 100–150 metres in circumference. A tall exhaust chimney is constructed in the centre. Half or more of the trench is filled with "green" (unfired) blocks which are stacked in an open lattice pattern to allow airflow. The lattice is capped with a roofing layer of finished brick.

In operation, new green blocks , along with roofing blocks , are stacked at one end of the brick pile. Historically, a stack of unfired blocks covered for protection from the weather was called a "hack". Cooled finished blocks are removed from the other end for transport to their destinations. In the middle, the brick workers create a firing zone by dropping fuel (coal, wood, oil, debris, and so on) through access holes in the roof above the trench.

The advantage of the BTK design is a much greater energy efficiency compared with clamp or scove kilns. Sheet metal or boards are used to route the airflow through the block's lattice so that fresh air flows first through the recently burned blocks , heating the air, then through the active burning zone. The air continues through the green blocks zone (pre-heating and drying the blocks ), and finally out the chimney, where the rising gases create suction that pulls air through the system. The reuse of heated air yields savings in fuel cost.

As with the rail process, the BTK process is continuous. A half-dozen labourers working around the clock can fire approximately 15,000–25,000 blocks a day. Unlike the rail process, in the BTK process the blocks do not move. Instead, the locations at which the blocks are loaded, fired, and unloaded gradually rotate through the trench.

Influences on colour

The colour of fired clay blocks is influenced by the chemical and mineral content of the raw materials, the firing temperature, and the atmosphere in the kiln. For example, pink blocks are the result of a high iron content, white or yellow blocks have a higher lime content. Most blocks burn to various red hues; as the temperature is increased the colour moves through dark red, purple, and then to brown or grey at around 1,300 °C (2,372 °F). The names of blocks may reflect their origin and colour, such as London stock brick and Cambridgeshire White. Brick tinting may be performed to change the colour of blocks to blend-in areas of brickwork with the surrounding masonry.

An impervious and ornamental surface may be laid on brick either by salt glazing, in which salt is added during the burning process, or by the use of a slip, which is a glaze material into which the blocks are dipped. Subsequent reheating in the kiln fuses the slip into a glazed surface integral with the brick base.

Chemically set bricks

Chemically set blocks are not fired but may have the curing process accelerated by the application of heat and pressure in an autoclave.

Calcium-silicate bricks

Calcium-silicate blocks are also called sand lime or flint lime blocks , depending on their ingredients. Rather than being made with clay they are made with lime binding the silicate material. The raw materials for calcium-silicate blocks include lime mixed in a proportion of about 1 to 10 with sand, quartz, crushed flint, or crushed siliceous rock together with mineral colourant. The materials are mixed and left until the lime is completely hydrated; the mixture is then pressed into moulds and cured in an autoclave for three to fourteen hours to speed the chemical hardening. The finished blocks are very accurate and uniform, although the sharp arise needs careful handling to avoid damage to brick and bricklayer. The blocks can be made in a variety of colours; white, black, buff, and grey-blues are common, and pastel shades can be achieved. This type of block is common in Sweden, Belarus, Russia and other post-Soviet countries, especially in houses built or renovated in the 1970s. A version known as fly ash blocks , manufactured using fly ash, lime, and gypsum (known as the FaL-G process) are common in South Asia. Calcium-silicate blocks are also manufactured in Canada and the United States, and meet the criteria set forth in ASTM C73 – 10 Standard Specification for Calcium Silicate Brick (Sand-Lime Brick).

Concrete bricks

Blocks formed from concrete are usually termed as blocks or concrete masonry units, and are typically pale grey. They are made from a dry, small aggregate concrete which is formed in steel moulds by vibration and compaction in either an "egg layer" or static machine. The finished blocks are cured, rather than fired, using low-pressure steam. Concrete blocks and blocks are manufactured in a wide range of shapes, sizes and face treatments – a number of which simulate the appearance of clay blocks.

Concrete blocks are available in many colours and as an engineering brick made with sulphate-resisting Portland cement or equivalent. When made with an adequate amount of cement they are suitable for harsh environments such as wet conditions and retaining walls. They are made to standards BS 6073, EN 771-3 or ASTM C55. Concrete blocks contract or shrink so they need movement joints every 5 to 6 metres, but are similar to other blocks of similar density in thermal and sound resistance and fire resistance.

Compressed earth blocks

Compressed earth blocks are made mostly from slightly moistened local soils compressed with a mechanical hydraulic press or manual lever press. A small amount of a cement binder may be added, resulting in a stabilised compressed earth block.

Description & Specifications about the product-

Single Bullnose brick is a style of brick that has one, some or all of its corners rounded off. These blocks can be used to create soft and attractive curved edges to steps, sills, or in capping walls.

Similarly, you may ask, what are bullnose bricks used for?

Uses-bullnose trim is used to provide a smooth, rounded edge for countertops, staircase steps, building corners, verandahs, or other construction. Masonry units such as blocks , concrete masonry unit or structural glazed facing tiles may be ordered from manufacturers with squares or its corners.

Secondly, what is the shape of a brick? The shapes of brick may be circular, square, rectangular or any other shape in cross-section. Uses: The perforated blocks are used in the panel of lightweight structures and multi-storeyed framed structures

What is Pacific Clay?

For over 130 Years, Pacific Clay Products has led the way in clay-brick manufacturing and innovation. From Pavers to Bullnose being the first to offer Mini-Brick (Thin-Brick), Double Bullnose, Special Brick Textures and more. Pacific Clay continues in its own historic tradition of paving new roads in the brick industry.

It has continually expanded to meet the needs of its customers, and in 1996 completed construction of a state-of-the-art brick production facility. Our present facility is the largest in the west. The new plant can burn blocks in 14 hours, compared to 35 hours in a traditional plant, and can produce 40,000,000 blocks per year. Along with many historic “ceramic firsts”, such as double-bullnose, mini-brick, ruffled-texture and others, Pacific Clay continues to meet the needs of its customers by creating innovative brick designs and colours. Pacific Clay Products remains the dominant supplier of clay products in Southern California, and on fine architectural jobs across the country.Pacific Clay manufactures the highest quality bullnose products in the industry.

What is a bullnose block?How do you install it?

Bullnose block is a brick or concrete masonry unit having one or more rounded exterior corners.This article will explain how to lay brick bullnose.

1. Step 1 – Prepare the block Bullnose. Arrange first the block bullnose at the side of the blocks , which will be installed at the wall's edges.
2. Step 2 – Cut the block Bullnose.
3. Step 3 – Lay the block  Bullnose.
4. Step 4 – Finalise the block Bullnose Laying.

Why are they called bullnose tiles?

It is named such  because of its half-rounded edge. It can come in any shape or special shapes, size, colour but the one thing that remains consistent is having a rounded edge.

What is a bullnose profile?

Bull Nose - The bull nose, or rounded edge design is considerably more rounded than pencil round for example, and is rounded on either just the top edge or both top and bottom edges. The rounding over is usually around 25mm+ and creates almost a complete curve when used at the top and bottom of the worktop.

 What are the bullnose corners?

They are essentially rounded corners on the edges of walls and other surfaces in construction. As seen in the photo, they are commonly found in adobe-type structures, but have made their way into contemporary design as part of new construction homes.

What are cement blocks called?

A concrete masonry unit (CMU) is a standard size rectangular block used in building construction. Those that use cinders (fly ash or bottom ash) are called cinder blocks in the United States, breeze blocks (breeze is a synonym of ash) in the United Kingdom, and hollow blocks in the Philippines.

What are the types of blocks?

7 Types of Concrete Block Used in Building Construction.

• Hollow concrete blocks.
• Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Block (AAC)
• Concrete blocks.
• Solid concrete blocks.
• Lintel blocks.
• Paving Blocks.
• Concrete stretcher block.

Which block is best for construction?

There are different factors on which you can easily decide which is better for building construction.

• Types of bricks - red/ clay-brick and flyash-brick.
• Block- hollow block, CLC block, AAc block.
• If you require more strength then you go with Fly Ash-Bricks , cause it's strength is better than red-brick and blocks.

Why are concrete blocks hollow?

Concrete hollow blocks are compacted by high pressure and vibration, which make the blocks very strong and able to withstand a high level of loading. They also have high fire resistance and no salinity which reduces their maintenance cost.

What are stretched blocks?

Concrete stretcher blocks are used to join the corner in the masonry. Stretcher blocks are widely used concrete hollow blocks in construction. They are laid with their length parallel to the face of the wall