Materials and Method of Construction

Session - 2

Facilitator:
Syed Ahmed Ali
Bricks, Blocks and Tiles
Bricks

An artificial masonry unit in the form of a

rectangular block of prepared clay is called a brick
Manufacturing of Bricks

Bricks are manufactured by molding brickearth in

rectangular blocks of uniform size and shape and then
by drying or burning these blocks in a suitable kiln.

The bricks simply dried in the sun are known as dried or

kacha bricks, and those burnt in the kiln are known as
burnt or pakka bricks. Bricks are burnt to provide them
and durability
Manufacturing of Bricks

Composition of Bricks are…

Brick earth: used in manufacture of brick

(20-30% clay, 35-50% sand, 20-35% silt, 1-2% of
lime, oxide of iron, manganese etc)
Blocks

A concrete block is primarily used as a building

material in the construction of walls. It is sometimes
called a concrete masonry unit (CMU). ... In use,
concrete blocks are stacked one at a time and
held together with fresh concrete mortar to form
the desired length and height of the wall.
Manufacturing of Blocks
The term precast refers to the fact that the blocks are
formed and hardened before they are brought to the
job site.
Manufacturing of Blocks
The production of concrete blocks consists of four basic
processes: mixing, molding, curing, and cubing.

Molding Cubing

Mixing Curing
Manufacturing of Blocks
Mixing

The sand and gravel (Stone) are stored outside in piles

and are transferred into storage bins in the plant by a
conveyor belt as they are needed.

As a production run starts, the required amounts of sand,

gravel, and cement are transferred by gravity or by
mechanical means to a weigh batcher which measures
the proper amounts of each material.
Manufacturing of Blocks
Mixing

The dry materials then flow into a stationary mixer where

they are blended together for several minutes.

After the dry materials are blended, a small amount of

water is added to the mixer. If the plant is located in a
climate subject to temperature extremes, the water may
first pass through a heater or chiller to regulate its
temperature.

Admixture chemicals and coloring pigments may also

be added at this time. The concrete is then mixed for six
to eight minutes.
Manufacturing of Blocks
Molding

Once the load of concrete is thoroughly mixed, it is

dumped into an inclined bucket conveyor and
transported to an elevated hopper.

The hopper conveys the material to the block machines

and from there it is conveyed to the molds. When the
blocks are full, the concrete is supplemented by air
pressure and vibration
Manufacturing of Blocks
The blocks are pushed down into a flat steel pallet and
conveyed through conveyor belt along with the
application of brushes over the blocks, to remove the
loose material or dirt

Curing:

The blocks are conveyed to the curing racks. Each rack

holds several hundred blocks. When the rack is full, it is
moved into the curing kilns.
Manufacturing of Blocks
Cubing:

The racks of cured blocks is pushed out of the kiln and

programmed for conveying new sets of fresh cubes for
the kiln

The blocks pass through a cuber which aligns each

block and then stacks them into a cube three blocks
across by six blocks. These cubes are carried outside with
a forklift and placed in storage.
Difference between Bricks and Block
Concrete blocks and bricks have a lot of differences in
the composition and usage that most people are not
aware of. Consequently, you find that in some cases the
material picked between the two ends up not being
suitable for the project in terms of pricing as well as other
aspects.

If you are considering putting up a residential house or

commercial building here are the differences for
concrete blocks and clay bricks for your enlightenment;
Difference between Bricks and Block
The first striking difference between a brick and a block
is in the shape, size, and composition.

Blocks are mainly made of concrete and are larger in

comparison to bricks. They come in both solid and
hollow format and are used mainly in load bearing walls
where strength is very important.
Difference between Bricks and Block
 Building professionals considered brick as one of the
most environmentally friendly building materials in the
market. Bricks are actually a great insulators; heat
energy from the sun during the day will be stored and
only released for several hours after sunset. This
feature makes them suitable for areas with high
temperatures.
Difference between Bricks and Block
 Moreover, they tend to expand after manufacture in
the first few years of their life – about 3mm to 5mm
over 10 meters of wall length, making it necessary for
provision of expansion joints. In general, size, usage,
purpose and composition of bricks and blocks make
the difference.
Difference between Bricks and Block
 Blocks, on the other hand are commonly made from
concrete. Block are larger size than brick and are
often used as partitions in both interior and exterior
applications as well as forming the structure of a
building.

 To form the wall, concrete blocks are stacked one at

a time and held together with fresh concrete mortar.
Difference between Bricks and Block
Finally, as far as painting is concerned, unlike concrete
blocks which accept paint relatively well, clay bricks
often exude metallic salts in their early years which
cause paint to peel off.