ABOUT BRICKS

The main constituents of brick-making clays are silica (sand) and alumina, but with varying quantities of chalk, lime, iron oxide and other minor constituents, eg fireclay. The largest UK manufacturer uses the Lower Oxford clays of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire to produce the Fletton brick. This clay contains some carbonaceous content that reduces the amount of fuel required to burn the bricks, lowering cost and producing a rather porous brick. Other particularly characteristic bricks are the strongly coloured Staffordshire Blues and Accrington Reds from clays containing high iron content and the yellow London Stocks from the Essex and Kent chalky clays with lower iron content.

The standard metric brick is 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm, weighing between 2kg and 4kg, and is easily held in one hand. The length of the brick is equal to twice its width plus one standard 10mm joint and three times its height plus two standard joints. Thus four courses of 65mm brickwork with joints give a vertical height of 300mm, and four stretchers with joints co-ordinate to 900mm.

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Bricks may be described as common, facing or engineering. Common bricks have no visual finish, and there therefore usually used for general building work especially where the brickwork is to be rendered, plastered, or unseen in the finished work.

Facing bricks are manufactured and selected to give an attractive finish. The particular colour, which may be uniform or multicoloured, results from the blend of clay used and the firing conditions. Additionally, the surface may be smooth, textured or sand-faced. Facing bricks are used for most visual brickwork.

Engineering bricks are dense and vitreous, with specific load bearing characteristics and low water absorption. The two classes (A and B) are defined according to their minimum average crushing strengths, water absorption, density, freeze/thaw resistance and active soluble salts content. Engineering bricks are used to support heavy loads, and also in positions where the effects of impact damage, water absorption or chemical attack need to be minimised. They are generally red or blue and are more expensive than other machine-made facing bricks because of their higher firing temperature.

LEADING BRICK MANUFACTURERS

Leading manufacturers of bricks include: Ibstock, Hanson and Baggeridge.

Other useful links relevant to bricks and brick suppliers:

List of brick suppliers at Archone
Brick Development Association

DETAILED INFORMATION RESOURCES ON BRICKS

We recommend the following professional construction directories, which include manufacturers' specifications and CAD details: Barbour Compendium at www.barbourcompendium.co.uk, RIBA Product Selector Plus at ww.productselector.co.uk, ASC Bricsnet at www.ascinfo.co.uk, Building Products Index at www.bpindex.co.uk, British Board of Agrément at www.bbacerts.co.uk, British Standards Online at www.bsonline.bsi-global.com.

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