Solid red brick: features, types and sizes

Solid red brick is considered one of the most popular building materials. It is widely used in the construction of load-bearing walls and foundations, for the construction of stoves and fireplaces, as well as for paving sidewalks and bridges.

Red solid brick is a type of ceramic brick and has high performance properties. The material is used in the construction of objects, the walls of which will be subjected to regular or periodic weight, shock and mechanical loads. Solid products are often used to erect columns, arched structures, and pillars. The ability of the material to withstand heavy loads is due to the high strength of the clay composition from which it is made.

Each of the types of solid bricks is assigned a certain strength index, which greatly facilitates the selection of the required material. The index consists of two characters, the first of which is denoted by the letter M, and the second has a numerical expression and shows the degree of strength of the material.

The strength of a material is greatly influenced by its density, which indicates how much mass of a substance is contained in one cubic meter. Density is inversely proportional to porosity and is considered the main characteristic of a material's thermal conductivity. The average density of solid red brick is 1600-1900 kg / m3, while its porosity varies in values ​​of 6-8%.

Porosity is also an important performance indicator and affects thermal conductivity and frost resistance. It is measured as a percentage and characterizes the level of filling the brick body with pores. The number of pores depends entirely on the purpose of the material and the technology of its manufacture. So, to increase porosity, straw, peat or crushed sawdust are added to clay, in a word, all those materials that, when burned in a furnace, leave small cavities filled with air in their place.

As for the thermal conductivity, its values ​​for full-bodied models are quite high. This imposes certain restrictions on the construction of residential buildings from solid material and requires additional measures to be taken to insulate the facades. So, the thermal conductivity index of solid products is only 0.7, which is explained by the low porosity of the material and the absence of an air gap inside the brick.

Solid ceramics are widely used in the arrangement of structures, which are subject to increased fire safety requirements. This is due to the high fire resistance of the material and the ability of some of its modifications to withstand temperatures up to 1600 degrees.In this case, we are talking about fireclay models, for the manufacture of which a special refractory clay is used with a higher firing temperature during production.

An equally important indicator is the frost resistance of the material., which is also indicated in the marking and denoted by the symbol F (n), where n is the number of freeze-thaw cycles that the product can withstand. Solid brick has an F75 index, which allows it to last up to 75 years, while maintaining its basic performance characteristics and not undergoing deformation. Due to its long service life, the material is often used for the construction of fences, open gazebos and outdoor stairs.

Water absorption also has a large effect on the performance of a material and refers to its ability to absorb and retain moisture. The hygroscopicity of a brick is determined empirically in the process of selective test tests, in which a dry brick is first weighed and then placed in water for 38 hours. Then the product is taken out of the container and weighed again.

High demand and widespread use of red solid bricks are explained by a number of important advantages of this building material.

• Thanks to the monolithic design, the brick has high compressive and bending strength and can be used in the most critical areas of construction.
• High frost resistance is due to the small number of pores and, as a consequence, the low hygroscopicity of the material. This property allows the material to be used in the construction of street structures and small architectural forms.
• The corrugated design of some models allows the use of bricks as a pre-finishing cladding: the ribbed surface provides high adhesion with plaster mixtures and does not require the installation of additional devices, such as a rail or mesh-netting.
• High thermal stability and fire resistance made ceramic stone the main material for laying stoves, wood-burning fireplaces and chimneys.
• Red brick is absolutely safe for human health, which is due to the natural origin of the raw materials used for its manufacture.

• The long service life allows the use of solid products for the construction of walls and foundations of residential buildings and public buildings.
• Due to its universal geometric shape, red brick does not cause difficulties during storage and transportation, and it is also quite light in laying.

Like any building material, red solid brick has several disadvantages. Among the minuses, a higher cost is noted in comparison with hollow models, which is explained by the need to use more clay for the production of one conventional specimen, as well as low heat-saving properties of the material.

In addition, specimens from different batches may differ slightly in color, therefore, when buying several pallets at once, it is better to purchase material of the same series and in one place. The disadvantages also include the large weight of the products. This requires a more careful approach to the choice of transport when transporting material, as well as taking into account the conditions of storage and the lifting capacity of the crane.

The classification of red solid bricks occurs according to a number of signs, the main of which is the purpose of the material. According to this criterion, ceramic models are divided into several types.

It is the most popular and demanded type and is used for the construction of foundations, load-bearing walls and interior partitions. The raw material for the brick is ordinary red clay, and it is made in two ways.

• The first is called the semi-dry pressing method and consists in the formation of workpieces from clay with low moisture content. The pressing takes place under very high pressure, so the fired raw material sets quickly enough, and a dense and hard material is obtained at the exit.
• The second method is called the method of plastic formation and consists in the design of the raw material by means of a belt press with further drying and firing of the blanks. It is in this way that most of the modifications of red brick are made.

It bears the name of refractory and is made of fireclay clay. Its share in the total mass of the product reaches 70%, which makes the material practically invulnerable to open fire and allows the masonry to withstand its impact for five hours. For comparison, it should be noted that reinforced concrete structures are able to withstand a flame for two hours, and metal structures - from 30 minutes to an hour.

It has a smooth or corrugated surface and is widely used for finishing facades of buildings and interiors.

It is produced in non-standard forms and is used in the construction and decoration of small architectural forms, including arches, columns and pillars.

It is the most durable type and is widely used for paving sidewalks and roadways. The clinker has a long service life, high strength, reaching the M1000 index, and increased frost resistance, which allows the material to withstand up to 100 freezing cycles.

In addition to their functional purpose, ceramic full-bodied models also differ in size. According to the accepted standards of GOSTs, bricks are produced in thickness in single, one-and-a-half and double versions. The most common sizes are single (250x120x65 mm) and one and a half (250x120x88 mm). Dimensions of double bricks reach 250x120x140 mm.

However, in addition to products with standard sizes, there are often options with unconventional dimensions. These include eurobricks with dimensions of 250x85x65 mm, modular specimens with dimensions of 288x138x65 mm, as well as incomplete models with lengths of 60, 120 and 180 mm and a height of up to 65 mm. Bricks from foreign manufacturers have slightly different dimensions, of which the most popular are 240x115x71 and 200x100x65 mm.

In the next video, you will find a film about the technological process of the production of clay bricks.