Page 23 - PH_Masonry_Final_Ver 1_July 2020

vast range of colors. They are also relatively smooth to the touch, and

provide a very uniform finish. These bricks can offer advantages over
clay bricks such as:

 Their color appearance is grey instead of the regular reddish color.

 Their shape is uniform and presents a smoother finish that doesn‘t require plastering.

Recommended Bricks for Construction:

Common burnt clay bricks are recommended for construction of a house. The bricks should have
rectangular shapes with sharp corners and uniform colors. The bricks should be free from cracks,

chips and large particles of lime and organic matter. First class bricks are suitable for construc-
tion of a building.

Some other field test of bricks:

Fall test

A brick should not break when dropped flat on hard
ground from a height of about one meter.

Scratch test:

A good burned brick has surface so hard that the
fingernail cannot scratch it.

Soaked bricks:

The strength of a brick decreases by about 25% of
its own weight when soaked in water.

Participant Handbook : Masonry 23