How Brick Wall Construction Has Changed OVer Time

Brick wall construction dates back to 3000 BC. During this time, the Egyptian society practiced methods of bricklaying techniques and brick making in various forms and sizes. Back then, brick walls were made with mud brick and did not require cement or mortar. The spaces in between the bricks were filled with water, straw and something called bitumen.

In Egypt, the rocky borders of the Nile valley offered the material needed for the most monumental of all stone architecture: the pyramids.

The Egyptians weren't the only ones using bricks for construction of walls. There were many other cultures that used similar mud bricks, including the Indians. Interestingly, the modern brick standards stem from the Indus Valley civilization brick size: a ratio of 4:2:1.

Mortar began being used in brick wall construction during the Roman Empire. The Roman technology for building a brick wall is still widely used throughout Europe and other parts of the world. You can see the Roman technology of brick and mortar in baroque and gothic period construction. Brick gothic buildings can be found in Denmark, Germany, Poland and Russia.

However, during the Renaissance period brick walls became unpopular and were often covered with plaster. It wasn't until the mid-18th Century that brick walls once again became popular and can be found in many Dutch buildings such as in Potsdam. Even in areas where stone was available, bricks were often used because of speed and economy.

Today, there are three main types of brick used in almost all construction of brick walls . There is clay brick, concrete block and calcium silicate brick. Clay is the most commonly used material. Modern clay bricks are formed in one of three processes: soft mud, dry press or extruded. In 2007, a new type of brick was invented based on a by-product of coal power plants. This new type of brick is formed from fly ash.

If you want to learn how to build a wall for example, you need to know that bricks come in different sizes, shapes and colours. Some common brick types are molded bricks, extruded bricks, worn or tumbled bricks and glazed bricks. Molded bricks are smooth with a soft-edge brick design. Extruded bricks have a defined sharp edge. Worn or tumbled bricks are purposefully manufactured to appear old and worn down. Glazed bricks have a very smooth texture.

The colour of bricks is greatly influenced by the chemical and mineral content of raw materials, the firing temperature and the atmosphere of the kiln. For example pink coloured bricks are the result of high iron content, white or yellow bricks have higher lime content. Most bricks burn to various red hues though. Calcium silicate bricks have a wider range of shades and colours, depending on the colorants used.

The length of bricks is usually twice that of its width. This allows bricks to be laid bonded in a structure to increase its stability and strength. The brick wall is built using alternating courses of stretchers, bricks laid longways, and headers, bricks laid crossways. The headers tie the wall together over its width.

In the UK, the length and width of the common brick has remained fairly constant over the centuries, but the depth has varied from about 51 mm or smaller in earlier times to about 64 mm more recently. Bricks have been used for centuries in the UK as well. Until recently houses were built entirely with red brick walls . This use is common in areas of northern England and some outskirts of England. These houses have survived to the present day.

Bricks have been used throughout history as a construction technique. Being much more resistant to cold and moist weather conditions, brick enabled the construction of buildings and walls that have sustained the test of time.

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