Brick is considered by building professionals to be one of the most environmentally friendly building materials on the market – and it’s been on the market for a long time! So what is brick, and how is it made? Bricks are:
Rectangular blocks, most commonly made from clay, shale, slate, calcium silicate, concrete or quarried stone
Heated at high temperatures
Used as building or paving material
Bri
cks made from clay are the most common. The clay is mixed with sand and then mixed with water. Then, the clay is pressed into steel moulds and heated at 1,000° centigrade, which locks in the strength of the brick. There are also innovative brick manufacturers who have begun to make brick using sewage sludge or petroleum-contaminated soils. The sewer sludge material can be mixed with clay and sent through the manufacturing process, resulting in a brick equally as strong and attractive. While petroleum-contaminated soils are hazardous for the environment and human and animal health, manufacturers have designed a way of combining the petroleum-contaminated soil with clay. When fired at very high temperatures, it creates brick that is free from hydrocarbon contamination. Here are some fun facts about bricks:
Bricks are great insulators. They store heat energy from the sun during the day and release heat for several hours after the sun has set. In hot climates, this thermal lag can translate into energy savings and increased comfort for the occupants. Brick is known for its durability – it can withstand severe wind and extreme weather conditions. The Great Wall of China, constructed around 210 BCE, is made of 3,873,000,000 individual bricks. The natural color of a brick is determined by the mineral content of the clay used. For example, a red brick is made of clay with high iron content. A pale color brick most likely had higher lime content in the clay. In addition to the mineral content of the clay, a brick’s color can also be influenced by the temperature when firing – the higher the temperature, the darker the brick. In 2007, a new type of brick was invented using fly ash, a by-product of coal power plants. Brick creates very little waste when manufactured. Mining one pound of clay yields nearly one pound of brick, with only slight moisture and mineral loss occurring in the heating process.
