A Mini Project Report

On

MANUFACTURING OF BRICKS & IT’S PROPERTIES

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Submitted By
K.Yashwanth 17P61A0134
B.Yogesh 17P61A0110
A.Akhil 17P61A0102
M.Yathish 17P61A0148

Under the guidance

of
Ms.Dr. G.Sree Lakshmi Devi
Associate Professor

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

VIGNANA BHARATHI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

(An UGC Autonomous, Approved by AICTE; Accredited by NBA; NAAC & Permanently
affiliated to JNTUH) Recognized under 2(f) & 12 (B) of the UGC Act 1956) Aushapur,
Ghatkesar, RR. District, Near HPCL, Hyderabad, Telangana 501301.
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Mini Project entitled “MANUFACTURING OF BRICKS & IT’S
PROPERTIES” submitted by K.Yashwanth 17P61A0134, B.Yogesh 17P61A0110,
A.Akhil 17P61A0102, M.Yathish 17P61A0148 in the partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the award of Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering at JNTU, Hyderabad is
an authentic work carried out by them under my supervision and guidance. To the best of my
knowledge, the matter embodied in the thesis has not been submitted to any other
University/Institute for the award of any Degree or Diploma.

Date:
Place:

Dr. G.Sree Lakshmi Devi Dr. S. Krishna Rao Dr. S. Krishna Rao

Guide Head of the Department Principal

External Examiner
 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CANDIDATES DECLARATION

We hereby declare that this Mini-Project Report titled “MANUFACTURING OF BRICKS

& IT’S PROPERTIES” submitted by us to the Department of CIVIL ENGINEERING, VBIT,
Aushapur, Under JNTUH, is a Bonafide work undertaken by K.Yashwanth 17P61A0134,
B.Yogesh 17P61A0110, A.Akhil 17P61A0102, M.Yathish 17P61A0148 and it is not
submitted to any other University or Institution for the award of any degree.

By:

K.Yashwanth 17P61A0134____________
B.Yogesh 17P61A0110_____________
A.Akhil 17P61A0102 ___________
M.Yathish 17P61A0148 ___________
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We avail this rare opportunity to evince our profound sense of admiration and gratitude to our
project guide, Dr.G.Sree Lakshmi Devi , Associate professor, Civil Engineering Department,
for his efforts, guidance and congenial discussion during the preparation of this manuscript.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. S. Krishna Rao, Professor and HOD, Civil Engineering
Department, for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout
the course of project.

We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regards to our Principal,
Dr. S. Krishna Rao for his exemplary motivation and support in completion of the project
work.

We are thankful to Dr. N. Gautham Rao, Chairman, Dr. Manohar Reddy, Secretary, Dr.
Jayanth Kulkarni, IQAC Director for providing necessary help & facilities during the project
work.

A special gratitude to our mini-project coordinator, Mr. Niteen Keerthi, whose contribution
in stimulating suggestions which helped for the successful completion of the project.

We are thankful to the faculty of civil engineering department for their support and guidance
which helped us in successfully completing our project work. Also, we would like to extend
our sincere esteems to all staff in laboratory for their timely support.

Date:
Place:

K.Yashwanth 17P61A0134
B.Yogesh 17P61A0110
A.Akhil 17P61A0102
M.Yathish 17P61A0148
 CONTENTS

Abstarct

List of figures

Chapter 1 Introduction about project

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Raw materials

Chapter 2 Company profile

Chapter 3 Methodology

3.1 Manufacturing process of bricks

3.1.1 Preparation of soil
3.1.2 Moulding of bricks
3.1.3 Drying of bricks
3.1.4 Burning of bricks
3.1.5 Cooling
3.1.6 De-hacking

Chapter 4 Observations in field

4.1 Properties
4.1.1 Durability
4.1.2 Color
4.1.3 Texture,Coating & Glazes
4.1.4 Size Variation

Chapter 5 Conclusion

5.1 Project Conclusion

Chapter 6 References
 ABSTRACT

This Technical Note presents fundamental procedures for the manufacture of clay brick. The
types of clay used, the three principal processes for forming brick and the various phases of
manufacturing, from mining through storage, are discussed. Information is provided regarding
brick durability, color, texture (including coatings and glazes), size variation, compressive
strength and absorption.

Fly ash is a waste material of coal firing thermal plants and its accumulation near power plants
causes severe pollution problems. Therefore, its utilization as a raw material for brick making
will be a very beneficial solution in terms of economical and environmental aspects. The
methods of Fly Ash brick production and the leaching behaviours of heavy metals were
discussed. The methods of producing non-fired fly ash bricks seems to be an advantageous way
to confront the challenges for environment and ecologically sustainable development.
Additional economical benefits will also contribute to the economy while increasing demand
for greener building products will be met locally and also globally.

Manufacturing process material required for preparing the clay bricks and fly ash bricks as per
Indian standard code provisions, inspection and quality control. The textures of the bricks with
Fly Ash were very similar to that of clay bricks; the sample with the additive contains spherical
Fly Ash particles. These particles of Fly Ash led to a reduction in the density of the bricks and
a substantial improvement in their durability. Use of this additive could have practical
implications as a means of recycling and for achieving cost savings in brick production. The
absorption coefficient, shape and size, density, weight, porosity, thermal conductivity and
compressive strength of Fly Ash bricks compare with normal clay bricks that delivered good
results. From the present study, it can be concluded that Fly Ash bricks used as an alternative
to clay bricks.

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 & 1.2 Pictures showing bricks

Figure 1.3,1.4 & 1.5 Pictures of mixing raw materials
Figure 2.1 Picture with site engineer
Figure 3.1 Picture of moulded sample of bricks
Figure 3.2 & 3.3 Picture of mould.

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE PROJECT

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The fundamentals of brick manufacturing have not changed over time. However,
technological advancements have made contemporary brick plants substantially more
efficient and have improved the overall quality of the products. A more complete
knowledge of raw materials and their properties, better control of firing, improved kiln
designs and more advanced mechanization have all contributed to advancing the brick
industry. Other Technical Notes in this series address the classification and selection of
brick considering the use, exposure and required durability of the finished brickwork.

BRICK

Figure 1.1

Bricks are small rectangular blocks, (standard size of brick is 190x90x90mm, nominal size
of brick is230x115x75mm) that can be used to form parts of buildings, typically walls.
The use of bricks dates back to before 7,000 BC, when the earliest bricks were formed
from hand-moulded mud and dried in the sun. During the Industrial Revolution, mass-
produced bricks became a common alternative to stone, which could be more expensive,
less predictable and more difficult to handle.
Bricks are still in common use today for the construction of walls and paving and for
more complex features such as columns, arches, fire places and chimneys. They remain
popular because they are relatively small and easy to handle, can be extremely strong

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 in compression, are durable and low maintenance, they can be built up
into complex shapes and can be visually attractive.

Figure 1.2

However, more recently, other materials have been developed that can be used as
alternatives for building walls or for cladding facades and for some building types,
particularly larger buildings, bricks can be seen as time consuming, expensive (although
this is disputed by the Brick Development Association), structurally limiting, and requiring
too much on-site labour. Some of these difficulties have been overcome by the introduction
of reinforcement systems and by the development of pre-fabricated brick panels

1.2 RAW MATERIALS

CLAY
Clay is one of the most abundant natural mineral materials on earth. For brick
manufacturing, clay must possess some specific properties and characteristics. Such clays
must have plasticity, which permits them to be shaped or molded when mixed with water;
they must have sufficient wet and air-dried strength to maintain their shape after forming.
Also, when subjected to appropriate temperatures, the clay particles must fuse together.

Figure 1.3 Figure 1.4

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 Figure 1.5

Clays occur in three principal forms, all of which have similar chemical compositions but
different physical characteristics.

Surface Clays

Surface clays may be the upthrusts of older deposits or of more recent sedimentary
formations. As the name implies, they are found near the surface of the earth.

Shales

Shales are clays that have been subjected to high pressures until they have nearly hardened
into slate.

Fire Clays

Fire clays are usually mined at deeper levels than other clays and have refractory qualities.
Surface and fire clays have a different physical structure from shales but are similar in
chemical composition. three types of clay are composed of silica and alumina with varying
amounts of metallic oxides. Metallic oxides act as fluxes promoting fusion of the particles
at lower temperatures. Metallic oxides (particularly those of iron, magnesium and calcium)
influence the color of the fired brick.

3
The manufacturer minimizes variations in chemical composition and physical properties
by mixing clays from different sources and different locations in the pit. Chemical
composition varies within the pit, and the differences are compensated for by varying
manufacturing processes. As a result, brick from the same manufacturer will have slightly
different properties in subsequent production runs. Further, brick from different
manufacturers that have the same appearance may differ in other properties.

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 CHAPTER 2

COMPANY PROFILE
Established in Hyderabad, India “SVS CONSTRUCTION” are engaged in providing various
kind of civil construction service that include providing construction materials, Plumbing
Contractors, Civil Construction work, Roads, Highways & Industrial Roads, Designing,
Fabrication and Laying Service, Interiors and Exteriors services.

They use high quality raw material throughout their service in every field as They are one of
the renowned quality centric organization and quality is their prior aim. They procure the raw
material from quality driven organization that is checked at their quality inspection unit as to
provide unique quality service to their esteemed clients. They offer these services after
complete planning and designing of the project.

Figure 2.1

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY
3.1 MANUFACTURING

Bricks play a primary role in construction at all levels beginning from thatched roofs to multi-
storeyed buildings. Over many years, the process of brick making has not changed except for
minor refinements. Bricks are the oldest construction material which has been broadly used at
present due to its durability, availability and low cost. Refined brick making and burning
techniques have exceptionally improved the quality of buildings.

Manufacturing of bricks constitutes four stages i.e., preparation of soil, moulding, drying,
burning, cooling and de-hacking.

The chemical composition of brick clay consists of 54 to 61 % of silica (SiO2) and 22 to 32

% of aluminium (Al2O3). The average variability of SiO2 and Al2O3 exhibit low coefficients
of variation, ranging between 4 and 5 % and 11 and 15 %, respectively.

3.1.1 PREPARATION OF SOIL

Removal of Top Soil

The removal of top soil involves the loose materials present at the top of the soil for a depth of
about 200 mm. These materials should be removed as they contain a lot of impurities and are
not used in the preparation of bricks.

Digging and Spreading

After digging the soil for about 200 mm, the soil is spread on the level ground, and the heaps
of clay are about 600 to 1200 mm.

Cleaning

After spreading the soil on the ground, it should be cleaned of stones, vegetable matter, pebbles,
etc... If excess non-clay materials are present, the clay should be washed and screened. This
whole process will become expensive and clumsy. The lumps in soil should be crushed into a
powder form.

Weathering

The soil is then exposed to the atmosphere for softening for a few weeks depending on the
nature of the soil, which imparts plasticity and strength to the soil.

6
Blending

To increase the quality of soil, additionally, fly ash may be added in suitable proportions along
with coal, sandy or calcareous clays, etc. and the whole mass is mixed uniformly with water.

Tempering

After adding the sufficient quantity of water, the soil is kneaded under the feet of men or cattle
to make it stiff and homogeneous. In general, for handmade bricks, the soft plastic clay could
be prepared by using about 25 to 30 per cent water. For making superior bricks on a large scale
of about 20,000, the earth is tempered in a pug mill.

3.1.2 MOULDING OF BRICKS

Bricks are made in metric sizes called modular bricks, as prescribed by the Bureau of Indian
Standards. Nominal size of the bricks is 20cm x 10cm x 10cm, which include the thickness of
the mortar and the actual size of modular brick is 19cm x 9cm x 9cm.

A brick mould is a rectangular box of steel or wood, which is open at the top and bottom of the
box and inside dimensions of the mould are 20cm x 10cm x 10cm.

Moulding of bricks can be done using either hand or machine.

Figure 3.1

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HAND MOULDING

Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3

There are two types in hand moulding, i.e. ground moulding and table moulding. In this type,
bricks are moulded manually and preferred where only a small quantity of bricks is needed.

Ground Moulding

The process of moulding bricks on the ground manually by labour is called ground moulding.
On an average, a moulder can mould about 750 bricks per day. When the bricks have dried
sufficiently, they are moved to the drying shed and placed in an orderly manner.

Table Moulding

This moulding is done on a table of size 2m X 1m X 0.7m instead of on the ground. This table
moulding process is almost similar to ground moulding expect for some minor changes.

MACHINE MOULDING

Moulding machines are used when a large scale of bricks are to be manufactured in less
time. These types of bricks are heavier and stronger than the hand moulded ones and possess a
sharp regular shape, a smoother surface and sharp edges. There are two types in machine
moulding.

Plastic Method

In this method, pugged earth is used, which is placed in the machine that contains a rectangular
shape of size equal to the length and width of the brick. A beam of the moulded earth comes
out of it and is cut into strips by wires fixed in the frames. These bricks are also called wire-
cut bricks.

Dry Method

In this method, the machine first converts the hard earth into a powder form and a small quantity
of water is added to the powder to make it a stiff plastic paste. This paste is placed in the mould
8
and pressed by the machine to form hard and correct-shaped bricks. These bricks are known as
pressed bricks, which do not require any drying and can be sent directly to the burning section.

3.1.3 DRYING OF BRICKS

Moulded bricks cannot be burnt directly, as they may get damaged. So before burning they
should be dried either naturally or artificially for about two weeks.

Natural Drying

It is also called hack drying, which comprises placing moulded bricks in rows on their edges,
slightly above the ground called a hack. These bricks are air and sun-dried that is strong enough
to use for the construction of small structures.

Artificial Drying

When bricks are needed to dry on a large scale, then this artificial drying is preferred. They are
dried in special dryers which receive heat from specially made furnaces for artificial drying.

3.1.4 BURNING OF BRICKS

After the process of moulding and drying, bricks are burnt in kilns to impart hardness, strength
and to increase the density of the brick. Some physical and chemical changes take place in the
burning of bricks. Heating brick to about 640°C produces only physical changes. If a brick is
heated up to 700-1,000°C, it undergoes chemical changes. During this reaction, the materials
present in brick alumina and silica fuse together to make the brick strong and stable to prevent
from cracking and crumbling.

The types of Kilns used for burning purposes are

Clamp or Open Kiln

This is a temporary structure with some advantages like low initial cost, low fuel cost and a
few skilled labourers are sufficient to complete the process. The disadvantage is only a small
quantity of bricks is manufactured at a time and in that only 60% are good quality bricks.

Intermittent Kiln

When a large number of good quality bricks are needed, intermittent or continuous kilns are
preferred. In this kilns, the process of burning is discontinuous.

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Continuous Kilns

In this process, the burning is continuous and they are of three type’s i.e., Bull's Trench Kiln,
tunnel Kiln and Hoffman's Kiln.

To get a good quality brick it has to be heated to the required temperature. The bricks begin to
lose their shape and materials get vitrified if heating of brick earth goes beyond 1,300°C

3.1.5 COOLING
After the temperature has peaked and is maintained for a prescribed time, the cooling process
begins. Cooling time rarely exceeds 10 hours for tunnel kilns and from 5 to 24 hours in periodic
kilns. Cooling is an important stage in brick manufacturing because the rate of cooling has a
direct effect on color.

3.1.6 DE-HACKING
De-hacking is the process of unloading a kiln or kiln car after the brick have cooled, Bricks are
sorted, graded and packaged. Then they are placed in a storage yard or loaded onto rail cars or
trucks for delivery. The majority of brick today are packaged in self-contained, strapped cubes,
which can be broken down into individual strapped packages for ease of handling on the jobsite.
The packages and cubes are configured to provide openings for handling by forklifts

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 CHAPTER 4

OBSERVATION IN FIELD

4.1 PROPERTIES
All properties of brick are affected by raw material composition and the manufacturing process.
Most manufacturers blend different clays to achieve the desired properties of the raw materials
and of the fired brick. This improves the overall quality of the finished product. The quality
control during the manufacturing process permits the manufacturer to limit variations due to
processing and to produce a more uniform product.

The most important properties of brick are 1) durability, 2) color, 3) texture, 4) size variation,
5) compressive strength and 6) absorption.

4.1.1 DURABILITY
The durability of brick depends upon achieving incipient fusion and partial vitrification during
firing. Because compressive strength and absorption values are also related to the firing
temperatures, these properties, together with saturation coefficient, are currently taken as
predictors of durability in brick specifications. However, because of differences in raw
materials and manufacturing methods, a single set of values of compressive strength and
absorption will not reliably indicate the degree of firing.

4.1.2 COLOR
The color of fired clay depends upon its chemical composition, the firing temperatures and the
method of firing control. Of all the oxides commonly found in clays, iron probably has the
greatest effect on color. Regardless of its natural color, clay containing iron in practically any
form will exhibit a shade of red when exposed to an oxidizing fire because of the formation of
ferrous oxide. When fired in a reducing atmosphere, the same clay will assume a dark (or black)
hue. Creating a reducing atmosphere in the kiln is known as flashing or reduction firing.

Given the same raw material and manufacturing method, darker colors are associated with
higher firing temperatures, lower absorption values and higher compressive strength values.
However, for products made from different raw materials, there is no direct relationship
between strength and color or absorption and color.

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4.1.3 TEXTURE, COATINGS AND GLAZES
Many brick have smooth or sand-finished textures produced by the dies or molds used in
forming. A smooth texture, commonly referred to as a die skin, results from pressure exerted
by the steel die as the clay passes through it in the extrusion process. Most extruded brick have
the die skin removed and the surface further treated to produce other textures using devices
that cut, scratch, roll, brush or otherwise roughen the surface as the clay column leaves the die.
Brick may be tumbled before or after firing to achieve an antique appearance.

Many manufacturing plants apply engobes (slurries) of finely ground clay or colorants to the
column. Engobes are clay slips that are fired onto the ceramic body and develop hardness, but
are not impervious to moisture or water vapor. Sands, with or without coloring agents, can be
rolled into an engobe or applied directly to the brick faces to create interesting and distinctive
patterns in the finished product.

Although not produced by all manufacturers, glazed brick are made through a carefully
controlled ceramic glazing procedure. There are two basic variations of glazing; single-fired
and double-fired. Single-fired glazes are sprayed on brick before or after drying and then kiln-
fired at the normal firing temperatures of the brick. Double-fired glazes are used to obtain
colors that cannot be produced at higher temperatures. Such a glaze is applied after the brick
body has been fired and cooled, then refired at temperatures less than 1800 ºF (982 ºC). Glazes
are available in a wide variety of colors and reflectances. Unlike engobes, glazes are
impervious to water and water vapor.

4.1.4 SIZE VARIATION

Because clays shrink during both drying and firing, allowances are made in the forming process
to achieve the desired size of the finished brick. Both drying shrinkage and firing shrinkage
vary for different clays, usually falling within the following ranges:

• Drying shrinkage: 2 to 4 percent

• Firing shrinkage: 2.5 to 4 percent

Firing shrinkage increases with higher temperatures, which produce darker shades. When a
wide range of colors is desired, some variation between the sizes of the dark and light units is
inevitable. To obtain products of uniform size, manufacturers control factors contributing to
shrinkage. Because of normal variations in raw materials and temperature variations within
kilns, absolute uniformity is impossible. Consequently, specifications for brick allow size
variations.

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 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION
5.1 PROJECT CONCLUSION

Fly ash bricks are hi-tech well-improved quality bricks used for construction of brick masonry
structures.

They are used as replacement for normal clay bricks and has better properties than it.

These bricks are competitive in comparison to the conventional clay bricks and provide
enormous indirect benefits. The utilization of fly ash bricks results in conservation of natural
resources as well as protection of environment.

Fly ash bricks are less costly and lighter in weight.

High compressive strength, fewer pours and light-weighted compared to clay bricks.

In high-rise building when structural load increase, this brick has lightweight helps in reducing
stress on the building

Absorb less water compare to red bricks.

It is cheaper than the red bricks.

Fly ash bricks are made of waste materials that come from the combustion of coal in thermal
power plants.

Clay bricks are made of clay which is collected from fertile land or the topsoil. This is the
prime reason that makes Fly ash bricks more preferable than Clay bricks.

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 CHAPTER 6

REFERENCES

• IS CODE :2212-1991 for construction of clay brick masonry in general.

• IS CODE :1007-1992 for common burnt clay building bricks.
• “Brick and reinforced brick structures” by P.Dayarathnam, P.Sarah.
• BIS – Bureau of Indian standards.

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