HISTORY OF THE CLAY BRICK - Essay Example

History of the clay brick Baked clay bricks have always remained as one of the most stable building materials ever known in the whole world of construction industry. As pointed out by Kanti (2008) over the years bricks have also been one of the most beautiful materials. It also renowned for the character value it increases to any building with brick color, texture and strength. The use of clay brick has long standing history that dates back as far as the Egyptian age and continues to connect most people with the history of their ancestors.

Clay bricks have been in use as building material even before the Roman periods. However its use increased in the first four centuries during the Roman rule. This is a one of the outstanding structures of a beehive made out of bricks. Characteristics of bricks Bricks as a building material boast of being versatile due to its very good climatic uniqueness. For most people, it remains the material that is most preferred for constructing most residential houses. In addition, bricks have an excellent fire rating as well as being able weatherproof against extreme weather changes.

It also has good auditory properties since it can hold sound within a desired area. Moreover, besides all that it is cheap because it’s worth amounts to about 10 percent of the total charges of a classic residential structure. This low cost and durability of brick buildings make it to be more valued (Kanti, 2008). Brick making in the old days As Harrison (1998) observes, bricks are usually modeled from sticky soil known as clay which is derived from weathered and composed silicates. In early times, brick making was undertaken by small groups of people particularly men who prepared brick by combining water and soil.

After casting out bricks from the brick moulds, it was then allowed to loose moisture. Bricks were thereafter placed in a fire furnace that would burn out water content at very high temperatures of between 400 to 1770 degrees Celsius. Initially, bricks of clay would be made at or place closer to the site where the structure was to be established.  This would go as far as nine months to prepare because the whole process was done by hand. This is a picture a pile of bricks set to bake in an open fire However, brick making had many challenges among them was the uncontrolled temperatures during heating.

These uncontrolled temperatures would lead to loses as a result of overheating. On most occasions bricks would have indistinct form while other bricks would be left unbaked and therefore not fit to be used in the desired purposes. Developments Today, major steps have been made since the introduction of brick making. For instance, before the Industrial Revolution, clay products like bricks were done by small entrepreneurs managed by a handful number of men or even individual ventures. Despite this outstanding history of brick use in construction works, significant developments have been made during the Roman Empire era (Kanti, 2008).

Throughout these periods, the same basic techniques were applied in brick making. However, according to Harrison (1998), the rising demand for housing and improved living environments led to the developments exhibited in brick making industry today. These developments cater for daily demands and have become more sophisticated and productive by each passing day. For instance, during the early days, brick firing was done in small quantities unlike the contemporary method that is capable of producing large quantities of clay brick.

There are various machines that have helped to deal with the rising demand of brick making. This machines either caste the clay into the moulds to form individual bricks. The machines are also been designed to extrude clay through a die, this is then cut by wires into desired brick sizes.  Conclusion Finally, ever than before, permanent brick structures have continued to be built. This has been significantly improved by the advent of new technology and Industrial Revolution (Harrison, 1998).

It has also been necessitated by the need for supplies of bricks for the construction of new industries and housing for workers. It is suffice to observe throughout time, brick use will continue to gain use and popularity. References Kanti P. G., (2008): Prospects and Problems of Brick Industry: India, Mittal Publications. Harrison H.S., (1998): Houses: The Illustrated Guide to Construction, Design & Systems. New York, Dearborn Real Estate.