For
Knowledge
- Sun-dried bricks
- Burnt clay bricks
- Concrete Bricks
- Fly ash bricks
- Calcium Silicate Bricks
- Engineering Bricks
- Eco Bricks
- Hollow Bricks
- Fire Bricks
Let’s explore all the types of bricks available in civil engineering.
- Sun-dried Bricks
Sun-dried bricks are produced by moulding wet clay combined with fibers like straw and then letting them dry in the sun. Although these types of bricks are less expensive to make and are often used for temporary buildings, they are not as long-lasting and durable as burnt clay bricks.
- Burnt Clay Bricks
Clay burnt bricks are produced by moulding wet clay, which is then fired in a kiln at a high temperature. They are durable and strong, hence, widely used in building construction, particularly in regions with a lot of clay. Clay burnt bricks are available in various sizes, shapes, and colours. These types of bricks are divided into four different categories:
1) First Class Bricks
The first-class bricks are of the highest quality bricks, as they undergo table moulding before being fired in a kiln. Moreover, they are stronger and more resilient than all the other types of bricks used in construction. They are homogeneous in terms of size, shape, and colour. They don’t have any flaws and have sharp edges. When hit, the first-class bricks make a distinct ringing noise. Generally, load-bearing buildings and exposed walls are constructed using first-class brick.
2) Second Class Bricks
The second-class bricks resemble the first-class bricks, yet they might contain a few little flaws like strange colours, sizes, or shapes. They lack a flawless form and texture since they are ground-molded. The second-class bricks are the second-strongest type of bricks in civil engineering since they are also burned in kilns. They can not be utilized for exposed walls, although they are still appropriate for load-bearing walls.
3) Third Class Bricks
Instead of burning in kilns, the third-class bricks are ground-molded and burned in clamps. These types of bricks contain noticeable cracks, distortions, and other flaws, and they are quite asymmetrical in size, shape, and colour. They belong exclusively to temporary buildings as they are similar to unburned bricks. The third-class bricks are often used for non-structural uses like garden walls and landscaping, but they are not appropriate for load-bearing constructions.
4) Fourth Class Bricks
Fourth-class bricks are of poor quality and either over- or under-burnt. Due to the possibility of cracks, distortions, and other flaws, these types of bricks cannot be used in any kind of building. Before being utilized in construction, they are crushed and combined with concrete.
5) Concrete Bricks
Sand, cement, water, and coarse aggregates are used to make concrete bricks. They may be produced on the building site and customized to fit various sizes. These types of bricks are durable, strong and resistant to weathering and fire. Concrete bricks are often used as paving stones and in load-bearing constructions.
6) Fly Ash Bricks
As a raw material, fly ash bricks consist of a combination of cement, water, and fly ash- a waste material from coal-fired power plants. To produce fly ash bricks, first thoroughly mix all the ingredients, then compress the mixture into moulds. They are often utilized for load-bearing constructions since they are an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional clay bricks. These types of bricks are more resilient to freezing and thawing effects and excellent for insulation since they are robust yet lightweight and don’t absorb as much water.
7) Calcium Silicate Bricks
Calcium silicate bricks are also known as sand lime bricks as they are made of sand and lime. In the building industry, these bricks are used for various tasks, and they are one of the main types of bricks used in India. They are strong, long-lasting, and fire-resistant. They may be used in high-rise buildings or other places where thermal insulation is crucial since they are lightweight and have strong insulation qualities. Sand-lime bricks or calcium-silicate bricks are also used in architectural decorative works and other artistic works in construction.
8) Engineering Bricks
Engineering bricks are specifically designed for structural applications. The best clay is used to make them, and it is fired at very high temperatures to make them dense, strong, and resistant to chemicals and water. These types of bricks are frequently used in situations where water resistance is necessary or when significant loads are expected to be imposed.
9) Eco Bricks
Paper, plastic bottles, and other waste materials are recycled to create eco-bricks. Because they are sustainable, these types of bricks are becoming increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly substitute for conventional bricks. This environment-friendly building material is often used for non-structural elements, including garden walls, landscaping, and accent pieces.
10) Hollow Bricks
As the name implies, hollow bricks are also known as cellular or cavity bricks. They are hollow within and weigh around one-third less than ordinary bricks. Because they can be placed much faster than regular bricks, these types of bricks are often employed for speedy construction. Partitions are also made using these bricks during building construction process.
11) Fire Bricks
Fire bricks are also referred to as refractory bricks. These types of bricks are produced through an especially designed earthing procedure. Because of their fire-resistance qualities, they can tolerate very high temperatures after burning without sacrificing strength, shape, and size. Fire bricks are often used for the lining of furnaces and chimneys, which often have very high-temperature rates.
Characteristics of Good Quality Bricks
If you are not sure about how to choose the good quality bricks. Then, you must consider the following characteristics of good-quality bricks.
- The brick should be standard in size and consistent.
- The brick must be rectangular in shape, along with straight and crisp edges.
- A good quality brick should have a consistent colour, which might be either cherry or deep red.
- The surface of the bricks must be rough because excessively smooth bricks cause mortar to slide.
- Bricks need to have a decent enough hardness. When nails are used to scratch a brick, the surface should not be left with any marks.
- When thrown flat from a height of around 1 or 1.2 meters onto firm ground, the brick shouldn’t shatter into fragments.
- It should be free from cracks, holes, lumps, kankars or any other debris.
- Bricks must have a compressive strength of at least 3.5 N/mm2.
- The brick should make a metallic ringing sound when hit with a hammer or another brick.
To sum up, knowing the different types of bricks used in construction is important for picking the right building material for your project. From standard clay bricks to eco-friendly fly ash bricks, each type has its own advantages when it comes to strength, longevity, and insulation. Also, bricks come in a lot of different sizes and shapes, which gives architects a lot of creative freedom when designing buildings. No matter if you are making a commercial or residential structure, choosing the right type of brick can help you get a building that lasts, works well, and meets your needs and expectations.
What is Sand?
Sand is a natural material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. It can be found covering beaches, in riverbeds and in deserts throughout the world. Though all classified as sand, it can come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. The most common component of sand is silicon dioxide, which is usually in the form of quartz. Wind and rain breaks down rocks into smaller pieces forming sand. Since quartz is hard, doesn’t decompose easily, and is insoluble in water, wind and rivers carry the sand until it accumulates. Areas with a lot of quartz will have sand that is light colored and looks like the beach sand that is what most people think of when they picture sand. Other areas that have little quartz such as tropical islands like Hawaii, will have sand of a different color. Tropical islands often have sand that looks more white because it is composed of calcium carbonate which comes from the shells and skeletons of reef living organisms. Bermuda’s famous pink sand is mostly calcium carbonate tinged with pink from the red foraminifera (a marine organism) that is common there.
Types of Sand
There are three different types of naturally occurring sand based on the materials that it is formed by. Sand can also be manufactured. Different sand types include:
- Pit Sand. This sand is found in deposits in the soil. It is excavated by forming pits in the soil at least 1 to 2 meters deep. Pit sand is a reddish orange color, angular and free of salt. Once separated from clay, other organic materials and a coating of iron oxide, this sand is perfect for mortar or concrete work.
- River Sand. This is sand removed from rivers, streams and banks. It is made up of fine, round grains that are white-grey. River sand is an all purpose sand that can be used in construction for plastering.
- Sea Sand (Beach Sand). This is sand taken from seashores. It is also fine and round, but has a distinct brown color. Since it is taken from the seashore, it contains salt. The salt causes the sand to attract moisture and makes it unusable in construction.
- Artificial Sand. This sand is manufactured by crushing granite or basalt rock. Since it is manufactured, it can be created based on IS codes and can be used instead of river sand for construction purposes.
Size of Sand
Sand can also be differentiated by size of sand. Smaller sand is considered fine, while larger particles are considered coarse.
- Fine Sand. Used for plastering.
- Medium Sand. Used for masonry work.
- Coarse Sand. Used for concrete work.
Properties of Quality Sand
No matter your construction project, you will want to use quality sand. Each type of project uses a different type and size of sand, but it all requires clean, quality sand without impurities. Quality sand is:
- Clean
- Free of Organic Material
- Chemically Inert
- Without Salt
- Strong
- Durable
- Free of Clay and Silt
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Granite
Granite is part of the igneous rock category and it is comprised of both quartz and orthoclase, as well as tourmaline, mica, hornblende, and other smaller pieces of minerals. This type of stone is coarse when you touch it and the pieces are quite large. You will mostly see lighter colors within granite stone and it often has a spotty appearance. That isn’t to say that the colors are not appealing though, and you are almost guaranteed to find a color that you will love. Granite also has a glossy appearance if you take the time to have it polished.
Granite is very strong and durable, and it resists moisture, frost, and most of the other elements. There is a downside to using granite though and that is because it is not resistant to fire.
Marble
Marble is a rock with a layered structure, and it has a calcareous composition. This metamorphic type rock is formed from limestone naturally and the main mineral is calcite. The surface of this stone has uniform grains and you will find this stone in almost any color, whether all white, something in between, or all black.
As long as you choose quality marble, you can easily use it in construction, as well as for decorative areas.
Basalts
Basalts are also called traps and they are from volcanic igneous rocks that formed after lava erupted from volcanoes. There is quite the variation of the composition of minerals within this type of stone, but most do have hornblende and Augite. When you are looking at these types of stones, you will notice that they are very porous and may have cavities in the least expected places. This does not normally cause a problem, but it can in really wet areas.
Most basalt stones are a darker color, due to the composition of minerals, but you can find some lighter colors if you look hard enough. These stones are also quite hard and durable, plus they resist most of the elements unless there are numerous large cavities. The downside to using basalt stones is that they are very difficult to make smaller or change the shape, which causes issues when placing them where they are needed.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock that has a siliceous composition. The main mineral in sandstone is quartz, but you will also find small particles of felspar, mica, and a few other darker minerals. Most of the time within the construction industry, you will find the sandstone cemented, which makes it more suitable and durable for your needs.
You will find sandstone in many different colors, but the main ones include pink, red, maroon, white, and gray. The best sandstone for buildings will not have any fine layers and must be rich in quartz and use siliceous cement.
Limestone
Limestone is comprised of calcium carbonate and they normally have a stratified structure. The calcite in limestone is what makes up approximately ninety-nine percent of a few pieces, but most pieces are mainly comprised of magnesium carbonate. Some limestone may contain fossils and it is always mostly soft from the finer texture.
The color of limestone varies, and you can find it in pure white and both gray and darker colors. The color basically is decided from the types of minerals that the piece has the most of. Some varieties of limestone should not be used in the construction industry, but others are perfect for buildings. The ones that you want to use should be free of all cracks and cavities and they should be compact as well. You may want to polish the limestone you are using, to make it look its best.
While you may think that you will never use limestone for building, you may want to think again, because it is a popular material used for making cement.
Gneiss
Gneiss is another metamorphic rock and it looks very similar to granite. There is a larger variation when it comes to its mineral composition though, as it depends on which rock it came from. As long as the stone you choose has coarse crystalline and a uniform texture, you will have no issues using it for construction. However, without those things, you may want to choose another type of stone or you will be quite disappointed with the results.
Laterite
Oxides of aluminum and iron are what make up most of laterites, which is a sedimentary rock. This type of stone is basically created when alkaline igneous rocks chemically decompose and form a porous and spongy appearance.
All laterites are somewhere between light and dark red and the colors you find will be dependent on how much iron the stone has in its composition. This type of stone is used in basic construction, but you will also see it used as material for a road.
Slate
Slate is yet another metamorphic rock and it has quite a distinct foliated structure base. The texture of this type of stone is so fine that you can barely see the little particles when you place it under a microscope. Slate can be used for many different things within the construction industry, but the thickness of the stone and the color will keep you from using it everywhere.
Slate cannot withstand lots of moisture and while thicker layers are good for some things, they cannot be used for everything. If you have thinner sheets of dark slate, you may want to consider them for a roof, but keep them away from sills and pavement.
There are so many different types of stones that you can use within the construction industry, but these are the ones that you will see the most. Each one offers benefits, while also offering at least one downside when it comes to being used for buildings.
You must find the type of stone that will work best for your needs, instead of the one that you like the looks of. This will be difficult, since you will continue to feel the pull to the one that you love, but if you want the best results, you must go with the one that will give you the best outcome.
There are two types of paver blocks
1. Concrete Paving Block
Concrete blocks are mass manufactured to standard sizes. Hence, they can be easily interchanged. A typical concrete block has two surfaces – one is smooth, and the other is a rough surface. The concrete paving blocks are most suitable for heavy-duty applications, able to support substantial loads and resist shearing and braking forces. The concrete blocks come in various colors. The colors typically come from metallic oxides. However, there is a possibility of these colors to fade away. Hence one needs to be very careful while choosing the color of the block. Concrete paving blocks are the most preferred choice for laying of pavements, driveways, etc.
2. Clay Paving Blocks
Clay paving blocks are also called bricks or cobbles. These blocks are generally available as typical, rectangular brick-shaped. Although custom shapes can be made for specific projects. Unlike the concrete paving blocks, either side of clay paving blocks can be used. So both sides are interchangeable. Clay blocks are available in natural color only; hence the possibility of color fading is not there in these blocks. These blocks are mostly used for walls or pillars.
Shapes and Classification of Paver Blocks
There are four generic shapes of paver blocks corresponding to the four types of blocks:
- Type A: Paver blocks with plain vertical faces, which do not interlock into each other when paved in any pattern,
- Type B: Paver blocks with alternating plain and curved/corrugated vertical faces, which lock into each other along the curve/corrugated faces, when paved in any pattern,
- Type C: Paver blocks having all faces curved or corrugated, which lock into each other along with all the vertical faces when paved in any pattern and
- Type D: ‘L’ and ‘X’ shaped paver blocks that have all faces curved or corrugated and which lock into each other along with all the vertical faces when paved in any pattern.
- Advantages of Paver Blocks
- Paver blocks do not need special maintenance as compared to concrete or asphalt surfaces. A simple water washing can help keep the blocks clean and bright.
- Paver blocks are very durable, and if they are adequately interlocked, they can easily last for about 20 years. Paver blocks can withstand hefty vehicular load as well.
- Paver blocks are available in different shapes and colors, making it very versatile. These blocks can be used at residential as well as commercial premises.
- Paver blocks are slip-resistant and skid resistant.
- Paver blocks can be used in any weather conditions.
- These paver blocks are very easy to install and do not need any special equipment for its installation.
- The most important advantage of paver blocks is that they can be easily replaced. If one of the blocks gets damaged, it can be easily removed and replaced with another one.
With all these advantages, paver blocks are the most sort after solution for exterior pavement or driveways. These paver blocks not only make the exterior pathways look clean and neat but are also safe for walking on. Paver blocks are a definite solution for a low maintenance pathway.
All construction should be built on strong and stable soil. The strength of soil depends on its physical characteristics. If the soil under the building is not strong enough it could lead to the foundation cracking, breaking, and resulting in the building to collapse.
Below are the different types of soil for building foundation and their properties which will help you make the right decision:
There are three different types of naturally occurring sand based on the materials that it is formed by. Sand can also be manufactured. Different sand types include:
- Foundation on Sandy Soil
Sand/gravel have the largest particles among the various types of soil in construction. Owing to the bigger particles, this type of soil does not retain water and lets water drain out quickly which is great for buildings. Compacted sand/gravel offers even more stability and are great to build a foundation on.
- Foundation on Clay Soil
Clay is not ideal to use as a material for the foundation of buildings. Its tendency to contract and expand during the different seasons leads to cracks or fissures in the foundation of the building. Clay soil foundations are usually deeper to ensure there is enough stability. The tiny particles in clay hold water for a long time. The extreme changes can put a significant amount of pressure on the foundation.
- Loam Soil Foundation
Loam is one of the best types of soil in construction. It has the perfect combination of sand, silt, and clay. This enables the foundation to be strong. Loam does not shrink, expand or shift when it comes in contact with water. The only disadvantage of loam soil is that there could be a possibility of undecomposed materials in the composition of this type of soil which should be filtered out before construction.
- Peat Foundation
Peat soil is that which is found in areas such as bogs and wetlands. It primarily consists of organic matter and vegetation. It retains a large amount of water which does not make it ideal for construction. A peat foundation is at high risk of cracks, can shift around, and has a low bearing capacity. If you construct a building on this kind of foundation, the risk of damage is very high.
- Foundation on Rock Soil
Limestone, hard chalk, sandstone, etc. all have good bearing capacities making them an ideal material for foundations. Bedrock is more stable and resistant when it comes to damage caused by water. The most important thing to remember when building on bedrock is to ensure that it is well levelled.
Things To Consider For Soils And Foundations
With so many options, there are certain things to keep in mind when considering the types of soil in construction. The foundation of every building should be strong, efficient, and constructed well. The kind of soil used can have different impacts on the foundation depending on its properties. Generally, soils that contain more rocks, sand, and gravel are stronger and can withstand the changing seasons. Pick a soil that does not expand or shrink much when it comes in contact with water. Soils that contain organic matter have a higher tendency of holding water which can result in shifting and cracking of the foundation. Good soils for construction should have balanced chemistry to prevent material corrosion