BRICKS

THIS LECTURE COVERS THE FOLLOWING:

 Bricks
 Manufacture of clay bricks

 Classification of clay bricks

 Properties of clay bricks

 Testing of clay bricks

 Problems of efflorescence and lime bursting in

bricks and tiles.
BRICKS
Bricks – advantages over Stone:
 Bricks have greater fire resistance than stone
or concrete masonry
 Its size enables easy handling and placement in
walls
 It can be easily adapted to small-scale and large-
scale structures to give pleasing appearance and
texture
BRICKS
Constituents
 Brick clays are produced by blending together
various clays (surface clays, shales, and fire clays) to
produce the desired chemical composition and
physical properties.
 Clays can be divided into
 calcareous clays
 containing 15% Calcium Carbonate
 which gives yellow color when burnt

 noncalcareous clays
 containing silicate of alumina, feldspar, and iron oxide
 Iron oxide gives buff, red or salmon color, when burnt
COMPOSITION OF GOOD BRICK EARTH
 Alumina
 Chief constituent of all kinds of clay
 Imparts plasticity to clay so that it can be moulded
 If in excess, it makes the brick warp and crack on drying and burning
 Silica/sand
 It imparts uniform shape to bricks
 Its presence prevents cracking, shrinking and warping
 Its excess destroys cohesion between particles and makes the brick brittle
 Lime
 It should be present in very small quantities not exceeding 5%
 It helps in fusing sand(alone infusible) which then acts as cementing
material for brick particles.
 It should be very finely powdered else on burning the lumps will convert to
quicklime which expands in presence of moisture resulting in splitting of
bricks.
 The excess of lime causes the brick to melt and loose its shape
 Oxide of iron
 It is added in small quantity – 5-6%
 It helps fuse sand
 Imparts red color on burning
 Magnesia
 A small amount of MgO imparts yellow color to the brick
 It decreases shrinkage
 Its excess leads to decay of brick
MANUFACTURE OF CLAY BRICKS
1. Preparation of brick clay
 Unsoiling, Digging , Cleaning, Weathering , Blending ,
Tempering
2. Moulding the bricks
 Hand Moulding , Machine Moulding
3. Drying the bricks
 Natural , Artificial
4. Burning the bricks
 Burning in clamps, Burning in klins
SITE FOR OBTAINING
CLAY/EARTH

DIGGING
PREPARATION OF CLAY
 Unsoiling :- Top layer of 20cm depth is removed as it
contains impurities.
 Digging: - Clay dug out from ground is spread on levelled
ground (just a little deeper than the general level) in about 60cm
to 120cm heaps.
 Cleaning:-Stones, pebbles, vegetable matter, etc. are
removed and lumps of clay are converted into powder form.
 Weathering:- Clay is exposed to atmosphere from few weeks
to full season for softening and mellowing. (Preferably dug
before monsoon)
 Blending:- Clay is made loose and any ingredient to be
added to it is spread out at top and blended by turning it
up and down in vertical direction.
 Tempering:- Clay is brought to a proper degree of hardness,
then water is added to clay and whole mass is kneaded or
pressed under the feet of men or cattle. For large scale,
tempering is usually done in pug mill as shown in the
figure.
PUG MILL USED FOR TEMPERING OF CLAY
TEMPERING/KNEADING OF CLAY WITH THE
HELP OF CATTLE OR MEN
PROCESS OF TEMPERING
 Clay with water is placed in pug mill from the
top. When the vertical staff is rotated by using
electric pair, steam or diesel or turned by pair of
bullocks. Clay is thoroughly mixed up by the
actions of horizontal arms and knives when clay
has been sufficiently pugged, hole at the bottom
of tub, is opened out and the pugged earth is
taken out from ramp for the next operation of
moulding.
MOULDING
 Clay, which is prepared from pug mill, is sent for
the next operation of moulding.
 Following are the two ways of moulding.

 Hand Moulding

 Machine Moulding.
HAND MOULDING
 Moulds are rectangular boxes of wood or steel, which
are open at top and bottom. Steel moulds are more
durable and used for manufacturing bricks on large
scale as shown in figure.

Bricks prepared by hand moulding are of two types.

a) Ground moulded bricks
b) Table moulded bricks
(a) Ground moulded bricks: ground is first made
level and fine sand is sprinkled over it. Mould is
dipped in water and placed over the ground to fill the
clay. Extra clay is removed by wooden or metal
strike after the mould is filled forced mould is then
lifted up and raw brick is left on the ground. Mould is
then dipped in water every time lower faces of ground
moulded bricks are rough and it is not possible to
place frog on such bricks.
Ground moulded bricks of better quality and with
frogs on their surface are made by using a pair of
pallet boards and a wooden block

(b) Table-moulded bricks: Process of moulding these

bricks is just similar to ground bricks on a table of
size about 2m x 1m.
DIFFERENT MOULDS

GROUND MOULDING
MACHINE MOULDING
 This method proves to be economical when bricks in huge
quantity are to be manufactured at the same spot. It is also
helpful for moulding hard and string clay. These machines
are broadly classified in two categories
(a) Plastic clay machines
(b) Dry clay machines

a) Plastic clay machines: This machine containing

rectangular opening of size equal to length and width of a
brick. Pugged clay is placed in the machine and as it comes
out through the opening, it is cut into strips by wires fixed
in frames, so there bricks are called wire cut bricks.

b) Dry clay machines: In these machines, strong clay is first

converted into powder form and then water is added to
form a stiff plastic paste. Such paste is placed in mould and
pressed by machine to form hard and well shaped bricks.
They carry distinct frogs and exhibit uniform texture.
DRYING
 The damp bricks, if burnt, are likely to be cracked and
distorted. Hence moulded bricks are dried before they
are taken for the next operation of burning. Bricks
are laid along and across the stock in alternate layers.
The drying of brick is by the following means
(i) Artificial drying – drying by tunnels usually 1200C
about 1 to 3 days
(ii) Circulation of air- Stacks are arranged in such a
way that sufficient air space is left between them free
circulation of air.
(iii)Drying yard- special yards should be prepared
slightly higher level prevent the accumulation of rain
water
(iv) Period for drying – usually about 3 to 10 days for
bricks to become dry
(v) Screens – screens are necessary, may be provided
to avoid direct exposure to wind or sun.
 Newly-formed bricks are dried under
shelters in a natural way.

When the bricks are

almost dry, they are
set vertically in order
to make room for the
next batch of bricks.
BURNING
 This is very important operation in the manufacturing of
bricks to impart hardness, strength and make them dense
and durable.
 Heating clay upto 640 degree C produces physical changes.
If such clay is cooled back, it absorbs moisture from air and
gets hydrated back to its original state. Such poorly burnt
clay is unstable
 However, if clay is heated up to 700-1000 deg C chemical
changes take place by which alumina and silica in clay fuse
together resulting in a compound which is strong and
stable.
 Burning of bricks is done either in clamps or in kilns.
 Clamps are temporary structures and they are adopted to
manufacture bricks on small scale.
 Kilns are permanent structures and they are adopted to
manufacture bricks on a large scale.
A typical clamp is as shown in figure
KILNS
 A kiln is a large oven, which is used to burn bricks by
1) Intermittent kilns
2) Continuous kilns

 Intermittent kilns:
These are intermittent in operation, which means that they
are loaded, fired, cooled and unloaded.
a) Intermittent up-draught kilns
b) Intermittent down-draught kilns
 Continuous kilns
These kilns are continuous in operations. This means that
loading, firing, cooling and unloading are carried out
simultaneously in these kilns. There are three types of
continuous kilns.
a) Bull’s trench kiln
b) Hoffman’s kiln
c) Tunnel kiln
Intermittent kiln
Bulls Trench Kiln–
 Invented in England 1876
 Commonly used in India, Bull Trench kiln has
a permanent brick chimney over 30 meters
high.
 The chimney requires skilled labors to
construct and is costly to build.
 The kiln can only be operated in continuous
mode.
 It has no roof and can only be used outside
the monsoon season.
 Bulls trench kiln seen from the loading end
Design of a Bulls trench kiln

A Bulls trench kiln with a fixed chimney

A canvas prevents air from entering the kiln from the wrong end Fired bricks being drawn from the kiln
HOFFMAN’S
KILN
COMPARISON –

CLAMP
BURNING

Vs

KILN BURNING
Firing Process
BTK - Bull’s Trench Kiln
VSBK – Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln
Traditional indian clay brick kiln Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln

Bull’s trench brick kiln brick clamp

DIMENSIONS OF BRICKS
 Prescribed size of bricks as per Indian Standards.
Size Ordinary brick Tile brick
(in cm) (in cm)
Actual 19 x 9 x 9 19 x 9 x 4
Nominal 20 x 10 x10 20 x 10 x 4

 Nominal size of bricks is the size including the thickness of

mortar in brickwork
 Depression made on top of brick is known as frog.
Occasionally the
brick is cut into
various shapes to fill
in spaces at corners
and other locations
where a full brick
does not fit.
CLASSIFICATION OF CLAY BRICKS
 Bricks can broadly be divided into two categories.
(i) Unburnt or sundried bricks
(ii) Burnt bricks

(i) Un burnt or Sun dried bricks-

UN burnt or sun dried with the help of heat received
from sun after the process of moulding. These bricks
can only be used in the constructions of temporary
and cheap structures. Such bricks should not be used
at places exposed to heavy rains.

(ii) Burnt Bricks:

The bricks used in construction works are burnt
bricks and they are classified into the following four
categories.
a. First Class bricks:
These bricks are table moulded and of standard shape. The surface and edges of the
bricks are sharp, square, smooth and straight. They comply all the qualities of good
bricks and used for superior work of permanent nature.

b. Second class bricks:

These bricks are ground moulded and they are burnt in kilns. The surface of bricks is
some what rough and shape is also slightly irregular. These bricks are commonly used
at places where brick work is to be provided with a coat of plaster.

c. Third class bricks:

These bricks are ground moulded and they burnt in clamps. These bricks are not hard
and they have rough surfaces with irregular and distorted edges. These bricks give
dull sound when struck together. They are used for unimportant and temporary
structures and at places where rainfall is not heavy.

d. Fourth class bricks:

These are over burnt bricks with irregular shape and dark colour. These bricks are
used as aggregate for concrete in foundation, floors, roads, etc because of the fact that
the over burnt bricks have compacted structure and hence, they are some times found
stronger than even first class bricks.
PROPERTIES OF BRICK
 Color
 Texture

 Porosity

 Fire Resistance

 size variation

 compressive strength

 absorption.
 Color:
 The color of fired clay depends upon its chemical composition, the
firing temperatures and the method of firing control.
 Of all the oxides commonly found in clays, iron probably has the
greatest effect on color. Regardless of its natural color, clay
containing iron in practically any form will exhibit a shade of red
when exposed to an oxidizing fire because of the formation of
ferrous oxide. When fired in a reducing atmosphere, the same clay
will assume a dark (or black) hue. Creating a reducing atmosphere
in the kiln is known as flashing or reduction firing.
 Given the same raw material and manufacturing method, darker
colors are associated with higher firing temperatures, lower
absorption values and higher compressive strength values.
However, for products made from different raw materials, there is
no direct relationship between strength and color or absorption
and color.
 Texture:
 Coatings and Glazes : Many brick have smooth or sand-
finished textures produced by the dies or molds used in
forming.
 A smooth texture, commonly referred to as a die skin
results from pressure exerted by the steel die as the clay
passes through it in the extrusion process. Most extruded
brick have the die skin removed and the surface further
treated to produce other textures using devices that cut,
scratch, roll, brush or otherwise roughen the surface as the
clay column leaves the die Brick may be tumbled before or
after firing to achieve an antique appearance.
 Porosity

Porosity is an important characteristic of brick.

In contrast to other moulded or pre-cast building materials, the
porosity of brick is attributed to its fine capillaries.
By virtue of the capillary effect, the rate of moisture transport in the
brick is ten times faster than in other building materials. Moisture is
released during day-time and re-absorbed during night-time. The
ability to release and re-absorb moisture (a "breathing" process) by
capillary effect is one of the most useful properties of brick that helps
to regulate the temperature and humidity of atmosphere in a house.
This distinctive property makes brick an admirable building material,
particularly suitable for houses in the tropics.
On the other hand, all porous materials are susceptible to chemical
attacks and liable to contamination from weathering agents like rain,
running water and polluted air. Porosity of building material is an
important factor to consider in respect its performance and
applications.
Experiment results show that bricks with water absorption rate at
8% is 10 times more durable in resisting salt attack than that with
water absorption rate at 20%. Well burnt brick has a normal water
absorption rate less than 10% in contrast to that of concrete block and
cement mortar exceeding 15%. This explains why brick walls require
comparatively minimum maintenance in the course of time
Fire Resistance
 Brick is inherent with excellent fire resistance.

 the non-combustibility of brick helps to promote

its use in building houses against fire.
 Size Variation
 Because clays shrink during both drying and firing, allowances are
made in the forming process to achieve the desired size of the finished
brick. Both drying shrinkage and firing shrinkage vary for different
clays, usually falling within the following ranges:
 Drying shrinkage: 2 to 4 percent
 Firing shrinkage: 2.5 to 4 percent
 Firing shrinkage increases with higher temperatures, which produce
darker shades. When a wide range of colors is desired, some variation
between the sizes of the dark and light units is inevitable.
 To obtain products of uniform size, manufacturers control factors
contributing to shrinkage. Because of normal variations in raw
materials and temperature variations within kilns, absolute uniformity
is impossible. Consequently, specifications for brick allow size
variations.
 Compressive Strength and Absorption

 Both compressive strength and absorption are affected by

 properties of the clay,

 method of manufacture and

 degree of firing.

 For a given clay and method of manufacture, higher compressive

strength values and lower absorption values are associated with
higher firing temperatures.
 Although absorption and compressive strength can be controlled by
manufacturing and firing methods, these properties depend largely
upon the properties of the raw materials.

Higher
Higher firing Lower
compressive
temperatures absorption
strength
TESTS FOR BRICKS
A brick is generally subject to following tests to find
out its suitability for the construction work.

1. ABSORPTION
2. CRUSHING STRENGTH
3. HARDNESS
4. PRESENCE OF SOLUBLE SALTS
5. SHAPE & SIZE
6. SOUNDNESS
7. STRUCTURE
ABSORPTION

Water Absorption in Bricks is carried

out by immersing it in water for 24 hrs.
It is again weighed and the diff is in
wt. indicates the amount of water
absorbed by Bricks. It should not in
any case exceed 20% of wt. of dry
Bricks.
CRUSHING STRENGTH

Crushing strength of a brick is found out

by placing it in a compression testing
machine. It is pressed till it breaks. The
min. crushing strength of bricks is 55
kg/cm2.
HARDNESS

 In this test, a scratch is made on brick

surface with the help of finger nail. If
no impression is left on the surface, the
brick is treated to be sufficiently hard.
 SHAPE & SIZE

 In this test, a brick is closely inspected.

 It should be of standard size as per
Indian standards.
 Its shape should be truly rectangular
with sharp edges.
PRESENCE OF SALTS

 The soluble salts, if present in bricks will cause

efflorescence in the surface of bricks. For finding out the
presence of soluble salts in a brick, it is immersed in
water for 24 hrs. it is then taken out and allowed to dry
in shed. The absence of grey or white deposits in its
surface indicates absence of soluble salts.
 If the white deposit cover about 10% surface, the
efflorescence are said to be as moderate; when deposits
are to be more than 50%, the efflorescence become
heavy and it is treated as serious when such deposits
are converted into powdery mass.
SOUNDNESS

 In this test, two bricks are taken and

then struck together with each other,
the bricks should not break and a clear
ringing sound should be produced.
STRUCTURE

 A brick is broken and its structure is

examined.
 It should be homogeneous, compact
and free from any defects
PROBLEMS OF EFFLORESCENCE AND
LIME BURSTING IN BRICKS AND TILES
 Efflorescence is a phenomenon that soluble slats dissolved
in water are carried, deposited and gradually accumulated
on brick surfaces to form an unsightly scum. The soluble
salts may be originated from the raw material of bricks.
But in most cases, efflorescence is caused by salts from the
external sources such as ground water, contaminated
atmosphere, mortar ingredients and other materials in
contacts with the bricks.
 Three conditions must exist before efflorescence will occur.
 First: There must be water-soluble salts present somewhere in
the wall.
 Second: There must be sufficient moisture in the wall to
render the salts into a soluble solution.
 Third: There must be a path for the soluble salts to migrate
through to the surface where the moisture can evaporate, thus
depositing the salts which then crystallize and cause
efflorescence.
 If these three conditions can be controlled, there should be no
efflorescing of masonry walls.
1) Reduce all soluble alkali sulfates.
2) Use good details to prevent water from entering the masonry.

3) Use good construction practices to eliminate migratory paths for

moisture.
 Lime Bursts/pops”
 A phenomenon that sometimes occurs with new bricks is lime pops.
 Lime pops are caused by small particles of lime that are located near
the surface of the brick. When the brick absorbs moisture, the lime
particles swell and cause portions of the brick face to "pop" off. The
result are small pits in the surface of the brick with a white spot in
the center. The white spot is the lime particle.
 It is strictly an aesthetic issue and will not affect the structural
integrity of the brick.
 The picture below is an example of lime popping.
QUALITIES OF GOOD BRICK
1) Bricks should be table moulded, well burnt in kilns, copper
coloured, free from cracks and with sharp and square edges.
2) Bricks should be uniform shape and should be of standard size.
3) Bricks should give clear ringing sound when struck with each other.
4) Bricks, when broken, should show a bright homogeneous and
compact structure free from voids.
5) Bricks should not absorb water more than 20 percent by weight for
first class bricks and 22 percent by weight for second class bricks,
when soaked in coldwater for a period of 24 hours.
6) Bricks should be sufficiently hard no impression should be left on
brick surface when it is scratched with finger nail.
7) Bricks should have low thermal conductivity and they should be
sound proof.
8) Bricks should not break when dropped flat on hard ground from a
height of about one meter.
9) Bricks, when soaked in water for 24hours, should not show deposits
of white salts when allowed to dry in shade.
10) No brick should have crushing strength below 55kg/cm2
REFERENCE
 The following slides may be referred for further
understanding of concepts.
TYPES OF BRICKS
 Clay brick
 Sand lime

 Cement brick

 Perforated bricks

 Hollow bricks

 Paving bricks

 Pressed bricks
Advantages of bricks :

1) Brick will not burn, buckle or melt.

2) Brick will not rot and allow Termites to invade.
3) Brick will not rust and corrode.
4) Brick will not dent.
5) Brick will not fade from the Sun's UV Rays.
6) Brick will not be damaged by high winds, rain or hail.
7) Brick will not require constant maintenance.
8) Brick will not devalue.
9) Brick will not limit your design options.
BURNING
 This is very important operation in the
manufacturing of bricks to impart hardness,
strength and make them dense and durable.
 Burning of bricks is done either in clamps or in
kilns.
 Clamps are temporary structures and they are
adopted to manufacture bricks on small scale.
 Kilns are permanent structures and they are adopted
to manufacture bricks on a large scale.
A typical clamp is as shown in figure
1) A trapezoidal shape in plan with shorter end
slightly in excavation and wider end raised at an
angle of 15 degree from ground level.
2) A brick wall with mud is constructed on the short
end and a layer of 70cm to 80cm thick fuel (grass,
cow dung, ground nuts, wood or coal) laid on the
floor.
3) A layer consists of 4 or 5 courses of raw bricks laid
on edges with small spaces between them for
circulation of air.
4) A second layer of fuel is then placed, and over it
another layer of raw bricks is put up. The total
height of clamp in alternate layers of brick is about
3 to 4 m.
5) When clamp is completely constructed, it is
plastered with mud on sides and top and filled with
earth to prevent the escape of heat.
6) The period of burning is about one to two months
and allowed the same time for cooling.
7) Burnt bricks are taken out from the clamp.
CLAMP BURNING
 Advantages
(i) The bricks produced are tough and strong because
burning and cooling are gradual
(ii) Burning in clamps proves to be cheap and
economical.
(iii) No skilled labour and supervision are required for
the construction of clamps.

 Disadvantages

(i) Bricks are not of required shape

(ii) It is very slow process
(iii) It is not possible to regulate fire in a clamp
(iv) Quality of brick is not uniform
KILNS
 A kiln is a large oven, which is used to burn bricks by
1) Intermittent kilns
2) Continuous kilns

1) Intermittent kilns:
 These are intermittent in operation, which means
that they are loaded, fired, cooled and unloaded.
a) Intermittent up-draught kilns
b) Intermittent down-draught kilns

 Intermittent up-draught kiln:

This is in the form of rectangular with thick outside walls
as shown in the figure wide doors are provided at each end
for loading and unloading of kilns. A temporary roof may
be installed to protect from rain and it is removed after
kiln is fired. Flues are provided to carry flames or hot gases
through the body of kiln.
Intermittent kiln
 (i) Raw bricks are laid in row of thickness equal to 2 to 3 bricks and height 6 to
8 bricks with 2 bricks spacing between rows.

(ii) Fuels are filled with brush wood which takes up a free easily.

(iii) Loading of kiln with raw bricks with top course is finished with flat bricks
and other courses are formed by placing bricks on edges.

(iv) Each door is built up with dry bricks and are covered with mud or clay.

(v) The kiln is then fired for a period of 48 to 60 hours draught rises
in the upward direction from bottom of kiln and brings about the
burning of bricks.

(vi) Kiln is allowed to cool down and bricks are then token out.

(vi) Same procedure is repeated for the next burning

Bricks manufactured by intermittent up drought kilns are better than those

prepared by clamps but bricks burnt by this process is not uniform, supply of
bricks is not continuous and wastage of fuel heat.

Disadvantages:
 Quality of brick is not uniform
 Over burnt near top and under burnt near bottom
 Supply of brick is not continuous
 Wastage of fuel as the kiln has to be cooled down every time after burning
 Intermittent down-draught kilns:

These kilns are rectangular or circular in shape. They

are provided with permanent walls and closed tight
roof. Floor of the kiln has opening which are
connected to a common chimney stack through flues.
Working is same as up-draught kiln. But it is so
arranged in this kiln that hot gases are carried
through vertical flues upto the level of roof and they
are then released. These hot gases move down ward
by the chimney draught and in doing so, they burn
the bricks.

 Advantages:

(i) Bricks are evenly burnt

(ii) Performance of this kiln is better than that of up-
draught kiln
(iii) This kiln is suitable for burning of structural clay
tiles, terra cota because of close control of heat.
 Continuous kilns
These kilns are continuous in operations. This means
that loading, firing, cooling and unloading are carried
out simultaneously in these kilns. There are three
types of continuous kilns.
a) Bull’s trench kiln
b) Hoffman’s kiln
c) Tunnel kiln

a) Bull’s trench kiln:

This kiln may be of rectangular, circular or oval shape

in the plan as shown in figure. It is constructed in a
trench excavated in ground either fully under ground
partially projecting above ground openings is
provided in the outer walls to act as flue holes.
Dampers are in the form of iron plates and they are
used to divide the
kilns in suitable sections and most widely used kiln in
India.
 The bricks are arranged in such a way that flues are formed. Fuel is
placed in flues and it is ignited through flue holes after covering top
surface with earth and ashes to prevent the escape of heat usually
two movable iron chimneys are employed to form draught. These
chimneys are placed in advance of section being fired. Hence, hot
gases leaving the chimney warm up the bricks in next section. Each
section requires about one day to burn. The tentative arrangement for
different sections may be as follows
Section 1 – loading
Section 2 – empty
Section 3 – unloading
Section 4 – cooling
Section 5 – Burning
Section 6 – Heating

b) Hoffman’s kiln:

This kiln is constructed over ground and hence, it is sometimes

known as flame kiln. Its shape is circular to plan and it is divided into
a number of compartments or chambers. A permanent roof is
provided; the kiln can even function during rainy season. The
following fugure shows plan and section of Hoffman’s kiln with 12
chambers
 Chamber 1 - loading
Chamber 2 to 5 – drying and pre-heating
Chambers 6 and 7 - burning
Chambers 8 to 11 - cooling
Chamber 12 – unloading

 The initial cost of installing this kiln is high,

 the following advantages
(i) Good quality of bricks are produced
(ii) It is possible to regulate heat inside the chambers through fuel
holes.
(iii) Supply of bricks is continuous and regular
(iv) There is considerable saving in fuel due to pre heating of raw
bricks by flue gases.

c) Tunnel kiln:
This type of kiln is in the form of tunnel, which may be straight,
circular or oval in the plan. Raw bricks are placed in trolleys which
are then moved from one end too the other end of tunnel. Raw bricks
get dried and pre-heated as they approach zone of fire. In zone of fire,
bricks are burnt to the required degree and they are then pushed
forward for cooling. When bricks are sufficiently cooled, they are
unloaded. The kiln proves to be economical when the bricks are
manufactured on a large scale. As temperature is under control,
uniform bricks of better quality are produced.
COMPARISON –

CLAMP
BURNING

Vs

KILN BURNING
BRICK MAKING EXPLAINED IN PICTURES
To make the bricks, earth in situ is
mixed with water (as seen above)
allowed to sit, then put into molds
(top right) and laid out for sun
drying (right). They are then
stacked and covered for baking as
described in the next slide .
 There are tall smoke stacks (seen in
figure on left), each in the center of a
mound of sun dried mud bricks (shown
in figure below) which are covered with
fine ash and sand prior to baking. At one
end of this 7 ft high mound of area
120x50 sq ft are holes for crushed
charcoal which burns and produces heat
to bake bricks.

The bricks are then unearthed

and stacked for loading onto
trucks or wagons.