1.4 : Bricks

Bricks, a fundamental building material, are crafted from fired clay and exhibit a range of shapes, sizes, and colors. The production process starts with extracting local clay or shale, which is then crushed, ground, and screened for a fine texture. The refined material is blended with water, creating a pliable mixture that can be formed into bricks using one of three processes: soft mud, dry press, or stiff mud methods.

Soft mud bricks are shaped in molds with high moisture content and can be water-struck or sand-struck based on mold preparation, resulting in bricks with either a smooth or a matte texture. The dry press method, suitable for clays that shrink excessively, involves pressing the clay with minimal water content in molds under high pressure. The stiff mud process, the most common and cost-effective, uses clay with moderate water content extruded through a die, with the option for surface textures or color applications.

After forming, bricks are dried, firing at temperatures between 1800 and 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. This process, lasting from 40 to 150 hours, solidifies the bricks and influences their final size and color; higher temperatures lead to more shrinkage and darker hues.

Despite the industrialization of brickmaking, the process still honors the material's tradition, adapting to the demands of modern construction while retaining the tactile and aesthetic qualities that have made bricks a beloved element in architecture.