TNPSC AE Construction Materials – Bricks: Properties, Types & Preparation Tips

 Hi there, Welcome to the Civil Engineer. If you are preparing for the TNPSC AE or are a working professional looking to strengthen your foundation in civil engineering basics, then you are in the right place. Apart from this, I also cover some of the important news that was happening around the world in this blog. Have a look at that too. In this article, I will share the important Points that you need to remember for the Properties and Testing of Engineering Materials - Bricks.

Red Clay Bricks

What are they made of?

    All bricks were literally made of clay. Because clay can be moulded into whatever shape we want.

What are the tests made for Bricks?

    Two types of tests 

1. Crushing Test/ Compressive Test 
1. First Class Brick - 10.5 N/mm2 
2. Second Class Brick - 7.5 N/mm2
2. Buckling Test

What is the Size of the Bricks?

    The Nominal Size of the bricks is 19cm X 9cm X 9cm, and along with mortar thickness, the brick size is 20cm X 10cm X 10cm. There are also modular bricks that may vary according to the requirements of the customer.

    There is another type of brick called the Tile brick, which is used for elevation purposes. These tile bricks were of the dimension 19cm X 9cm X 4cm 

How many Bricks are needed for 1cum

    Volume of one brick - 20cm X 10cm X 10cm - 0.002 cum. Then (1/0.002) = 500 Nos.

What is the Weight of one standard Brick

    The weight of one standard brick is 3 kgs  or 30 N

Parts of Bricks

What is a Frog in Brick?

    A frog is a small depression made at the top of the brick. The design of the brick needs to conform to IS 1077 - 1992.  The Usual size of the frog is  L X B X D (100mm X 40mm X 10 or 20mm )

 Uses of the Frog   

1. Bond - It helps to have a better bond between the mortar and the brick to have a stronger wall
2. Manufacturer Name - The name of the manufacturer can be placed so we can identify the manufacturer, which acts as a marketing tool for the manufacturer and also helps to get the authenticity and if any discrepancy, we can clarify in the future.
3. There will be no frog in the tile brick since the thickness if very less.

What is the Mortar ratio needed to be used in Brick?

    For brickwork, the mortar thickness typically requires a ratio of 1:3 (one part cement to three parts sand). 

Types of Bond

1. Stretcher Bond
2. Header Bond
3. English Bond
4. Flemish Bond

Stretcher Bond

• Half Brick Wall, Width - 9cm
• Full Brick Wall, Width 19cm

Stretcher Bond

1. Stretcher Bond is used to build a brick wall
2. Mainly used in a compound Wall
3. The length of the Wall is Parallel to the Length of the Brick.

Header Bond

Header Bond

1. It is used to build a full brick wall
2. The length of the Wall will be Parallel to the length of the brick.

English Bond

English Bond

1. Layer-by-layer variation of stretcher and Header bond.  Alternate layers of Header and Stretcher bond.
2. This bond is the most popularly used method for wall construction then other types of Brick Laying.

Flemish Bond

Flemish Bond

1. Variation of Header and Stretcher within a single layer or row of the wall.
2. Aesthetically very appealing in nature.

Come and visit tomorrow. To be continued...