Type of Bricks

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It is essential to know the type of bricks Bricks for properly understanding the masonry work. Brick can be many types depending on its quality, making process, its raw material and purpose of their using. In this post I’ll describe the brick types for various criteria.

Depending on quality, bricks are three type –

First class brick
Second class brick, and
Third class brick.

First class brick: These bricks are made from good quality raw materials. Color of first class brick is uniform. These are regular in size and shape and doesn’t absorb more than 20% water of its own dry weight when immersed in fresh water for 24 hours. The crushing strength of this type of brick should be 105 kg/cm2.

Second class brick: The quality of bricks of this type is little bit less from first class brick. Such as it can be slightly over burned. She size and shape can be slightly differ from standard. The crushing strength of this brick-type should be above 70 kg/cm2. These bricks don’t absorb more than 22% water of its own weight after 24 hours immersion in fresh water.

Third class brick: This type of brick isn’t uniform in size and shape. It can be over burnt or under burnt. It doesn’t absorb more than 25% water of its own weight when immersed 24 hours in fresh water. Crushing strength of this type is more than 30 kg/cm2.

Depending on raw materials used for making bricks, it can be following types –

Burnt clay brick
Fly ash clay brick
Concrete brick
Sand-Lime brick
Fire clay brick

Burnt clay brick: This type of bricks are usually made from clay by burning. These are the common type of bricks for construction work.

Fly ash clay brick: When fly ash is mixed with clay for producing brick that is fly ash clay brick.

Concrete brick: The main raw materials for this type of bricks are cement and sand. It is also called mortar brick.

Sand-Lime brick: Lime is used instead of cement with sand for producing this type of bricks.

Fire brick: This type of bricks are made from fire clay. These bricks can tolerate high temperature without distortion and cracking. That’s why it can be used in fireplaces.

Depending on using location, bricks can be two types –

Facing brick, and
Backing brick.

Facing brick: This type of bricks are used on the surface of backing wall. These are high quality and shows various texture on their surface.

Backing brick: These type of brick doesn’t contain any texture on its surface. It works as backing support of facing brick.

Depending on weather resisting capability bricks are three types –

Severe Weather grade (SW)
Moderate Weather grade (MW)
No Weather grade (NW).

Severe weather grade: This type of bricks can withstand against repeated freeze-thaw actions. These are useful for the countries where severe freeze-thaw actions happened.

Moderate Weather grade (MW): This type of bricks can be useful for hot-weathering affected countries where freeze-thaw action doesn’t happen much.

No Weather grade (NW): This type of bricks are general and it doesn’t have any weather resisting capability. It’s mostly used in interior wall.

Purpose of their using bricks can be following types –

Common bricks
Engineering bricks.

Common bricks: This type of bricks are used for general purpose with no special requirements. Walls that are made with this type of bricks should be plastered.

Engineering bricks: This type of bricks are burned at extremely high temperature to form a strong and dense product. It has excellent load bearing capacity and high damp-proof capability.