The weight of red brick and its manufacturing features

Red brick - a popular universal building material, with which you can solve almost any problem. It is used in the construction of multi-storey buildings, private houses, small architectural forms. From it they build both in the north and in the south. Its popularity is due to its good performance properties and the fact that the weight of red brick allows you to perform the masonry yourself.

This kind of building stone is made from clay, which corresponds to certain parameters, which is prepared in a special way. Hardness is attached to the firing process, high temperature and chemical processes change the color of the clay, and the brick turns red. The average weight of red brick is 3.5-3.8 kilograms. The exact mass depends on the type of clay used and the features of the process. To reduce the load on the foundation and make bricks more durable they make them hollow. In this case, the weight of the red brick (hollow) is 2.3-2.5 kg.

There are two ways of making ceramic bricks:

• Clay mass, having a moisture content of 8% -10%, is formed by strong pressing. But bricks made using this technology are not recommended for use in rooms with high humidity.
• More common is the plastic method. The wet mass (clay moisture level 17% -30%) is squeezed out using a belt press and fired.

The manufacture of red brick is known from ancient times. Scientists even find it difficult to determine where and when this miracle material was invented, which for millennia has not lost its popularity. Until the early 19th century, the manufacturing procedure was very long and complicated. Each brick was formed manually, then dried in the summer sun, after which it was fired in floor furnaces. With the invention of the belt press and annular kiln, the process accelerated and became much easier.

Modern manufacturers of red brick work year-round, releasing about 200 million pieces a year. Today the name "red" is more a tribute to tradition. After all, the color of the brick depends on the clay used. And there are ceramic bricks of white, yellow or apricot color. If you do not plan to revet the building, then immediately order the entire batch of bricks from one manufacturer: very often shades do not match. And you have to either use material of different colors, or spend time looking for a suitable shade.

Despite the fact that it is very difficult to achieve exact correspondence between size and weight, there is GOST, which regulates the parameters of bricks. According to the norms, the weight of red brick in finished form should not exceed 4.3 kg. For each batch, frost resistance and a compressive strength shall be indicated. The quality of red ceramic bricks can also be determined by external signs: substandard batches may contain a large percentage of impurities (limestone, stones). Unfertilized brick is considered to be substandard. To determine this is not difficult: it has a non-standard mustard color, and if it is hit, it produces a dull sound. The use of such a brick when building a house can affect the quality of the structure and the level of safety.