Hollow

Blocks and
Bricks
Baluran

Quio

Tolledo
HOLLOW BLOCKS

A hollow concrete block is a block made of concrete that has

hollow spaces between its walls.

Used in:

• Retaining walls

• Decorative walls

• Classic walls
 What is a Hollow
Block made of?

• Gravel
• Sand
• Cement
• Water
 Size of Hollow

t
Heigh
Concrete Blocks

gt •Length: 400, 500 or 600

W n
id Le mm
th h
•Height: 200 or 100 mm

•Width: 50, 75, 100, 150,

200, 250 or 300 mm
Classifi cation of Hollow Blocks

Gr a d e A :

•Gra d e-A t yp e o f b lo c k s is used a s lo a d - b ea ring units a nd ha v e a

m inim um b lo c k d ensit y o f 1 5 0 0 k g / m 3 . Gra d e-A ty p e o f b lo c k s a re
m a nuf a c tured f o r m inim um a ve ra g e c o m p res siv e s treng ths o f 3 .5 , 4 .5 ,
5 .5 , 7 .0 , 8 , 5 , 1 0 .0 , 1 2 .5 a nd 1 5 .0 N / m m 2 a t 2 8 d a ys .

Gr a d e B:

•Gra d e-B ty p e o f b lo c k s is a lso used a s lo a d - b e a ring units a nd ha ve a

b lo c k d ensity b et w een 1 1 0 0 k g / m 3 a nd 1 5 0 0 k g / m 3 . Gra d e-B t yp e o f b lo c k s
a re m a nufa c ture d f o r m inim um a v era g e c o m p re ssiv e st reng ths o f 3 .5 a nd
5 .0 N/ m m 2 a t 2 8 d a ys .
Properties of Hollow Blocks

01. Moisture Movement: Not more than 0.09%

02. Water Absorption: Not more than 10%

03. Drying Shrinkage: Not more than 0.06%

04. Compressive Strength:

•For Grade A: 3.5 to 15.0 N/mm 2

•For Grade B: 3.5 and 5.0 N/mm 2

05. Density:

•For Grade A: 1500 kg/m 3

•For Grade-B: 1100 kg/m 3 to 1500 kg/m 3

Process in
creating Hollow
Blocks

1. Mixing

2. Molding

3. Curing

4. Cubing
 Mild steel
hollow block
making machine
Diff erent
Types of
Hollow Blocks
Concrete
Stretcher Blocks

Concrete stretcher blocks

are most commonly used
hollow concrete blocks in
construction. These blocks
are used to join the corner
of masonry units.
Lintel Blocks
Lintel blocks are also called
channeled blocks or beam
blocks. These blocks have a
deep groove along the length
of the block. They are used for
the provision of the beam or
lintel beam.
Partition
Concrete Blocks

Partition concrete blocks

are an ideal choice for the
construction of Partition
walls.
Concrete Pillar
Blocks
Concrete pillar blocks are also
known as double corner block
as both of its corners are
plain. As the name suggests, ,
concrete pillar blocks are
widely used in pillars or piers.
Concrete
Corner Blocks

Concrete corner blocks are

used at the corners of the
masonry or at the end of
window or at door opening.
Jamb Concrete
Blocks
Jamb concrete blocks are
used when there is an
elaborated window opening
in the wall.
Bullnose
Concrete Blocks

Bullnose concrete blocks are

similar to corner blocks in
structure and function. But
especially when we want
rounded edges at the corner,
these blocks are chosen.
Column
Concrete Block
Column concrete blocks are
square blocks with a single
hole in the middle. They’re
often stacked on top of each
other and reinforced from the
inside to create a column.
Uses of Hollow Concrete Blocks

Hollow concrete blocks are used in all type of masonry construction

such as,
•E x t e r i o r l o a d - b e a r i n g w a l l s
•I n t e r i o r l o a d - b e a r i n g w a l l s
•C u r t a i n w a l l s
•P a r t i t i o n w a l l a n d p a n e l w a l l s
•B a c k i n g f r o m b r i c k , s t o n e , a n d o t h e r f a c i n g
•F i r e p r o o fi n g o v e r a s t r u c t u r a l m e m b e r
•F i r e - s a f e w a l l s a r o u n d s t a i r w e l l s , e l e v a t o r s
•P i e r s , c o l u m n a n d r e t a i n i n g w a l l s
•B o u n d a r y f e n c e s
Advantages of Hollow Concrete
Blocks

01. Hollow concrete block is the easier and faster construction

practice

02. Hollow concrete block reduces the cost of construction

labour and construction materials

03. Semi-skilled or unskilled labour can also work in this type

of construction.

04. These concrete blocks need low maintenance.

05. They are eco -friendly materials as industrial wastes

06. Reinforcing the hollow block masonry is possible as there is no
additional formwork or any construction machinery required.

07. Hollow concrete block is highly durable

08. As the hollow concrete blocks are light in weight, they reduce the
weight of the structure and hence light structural member or less
percentage of steel is required

09. Presence of rough texture on concrete blocks provides good

bonding between cement mortar and concrete blocks.

10. It helps to save space and increase the fl oor area or carpet area.
11. In the hollow blocks, the voids or cores can be fi lled with steel
bars and concrete for achieving high seismic resistance.

12. Hollow concrete blocks have good insulating properties against

sound, heat and dampness.

13. These blocks have low water absorption than conventional

bricks. 14. Hollow concrete block can safely resist the atmospheric
action. This block doesn’t require protecting covering.

15. It has good fi re resistance.

Bricks

Brick is a versati le building material that has a long history of use dati ng
back thousands of years.

It is a durable material that has high compressive strength making it suitable

for use in constructi on and civil engineering projects as a structural element
for a project.
Uses of Bricks

1. As a Structural Unit
 Buildings
 Bridges
 Foundati ons
 Arches
 Pavement (Footpath, Streets)
 Brick Flooring
Uses of Bricks

2. As an Aestheti c Unit/Surface Finish

 In Pavements
 As Facing Brick
· For Architectural Purposes

3. As a Fire Resistant Material

Advantages of Bricks

 Economical
 Hard and durable
 Compressive strength is good enough for ordinary constructi on
 Diff erent orientati ons and sizes give diff erent surface textures
 Very low maintenance cost is required
 Demolishing of brick structures is very easy, less ti me consuming and
hence economic
 Reusable and Recyclable
 Highly fi re resistant
 Produces less environmental polluti on during manufacturing process
Disadvantages of Bricks

Time consuming constructi on

Cannot be used in high seismic zones

Since bricks absorb water easily, therefore, it causes fl uorescence when not
exposed to air Very Less tensile strength

Rough surfaces of bricks may cause mold growth if not properly cleaned

Cleaning brick surfaces is a hard job

Color of low quality brick changes when exposed to sun for a long period of
ti me
Brick Characteristics

• Brick can be used as facing bricks also called face brick, which means that
the face (the front surface of the brick) is exposed and visible.

• Backing brick does not have a visible face and is used as a support
system.

• Perforated brick and hollow brick are lighter in weight, require less raw
materials to fabricate, and are oft en used for non-load bearing
applicati ons
Types of
Brick by
Material
 A.Burnt Clay
Brick
It is created from clay that is either
molded, dry-pressed, or extruded and then
dried and fi red in a kiln. Additi onally, this
type of brick is further characterized by
class - fi rst, second, third, and fourth,
which relates not only to appearance but
also to porosity and strength.
B.Fly Ash Brick
Fly ash brick, also called fl y ash clay
brick is created from a mixture of fl y
ash and clay fi red at extremely high
temperature. Fly ash is a glassy
parti culate that accumulates from
the burning of pulverized coal in
electrical power generati on faciliti es
C.Fire Bricks
Fire brick, also called refractory
brick, is a type of brick that is built
from fi re clay. These bricks are
designed to have high-temperature
tolerance, low thermal conducti vity,
and can survive thermal cycling and
rapid changes in temperature.
 Properties of Fire Bricks

 They are yellowish white or white in color.

 They are available in diff erent sizes ranging from 9 X 4.5 X 2.5 inches to 9
X 2.75 X 2.25 inches.
 One general fi re brick weighs about 30 to 35 N.
 The compressive strength of fi re bricks ranges from 200 to 220 Kg /cm2.
 The percentage of water absorpti on varies from 5 to 10%.
 They have good chemical resistance.
Types of Fire Bricks

Fire bricks are classifi ed majorly into three types :

 Acidic fi re bricks
 Basic fi re bricks
 Neutral fi re bricks
 Acidic Fire Brick

Acidic Fire brick, also called as resistant

brick is used especially to resist acidic
acti ons of chemicals or weather.
Basic Fire Bricks

These are good at corrosion

resistance and chemical resistance.
They contain amount of magnesia
and here also lime is used as a
binding material.
Neutral Fire
Bricks

These are good for both acidic and

basic lining purposes. They off er good
resistance against acidic fumes as well
as corrosive acti ons.
D. Sand Lime
Brick

Also called calcium silicate

bricks or fl int lime bricks

Manufactured from a mix

made up of sand, lime and
water
Common Pigments of Sand Lime
Bricks

Pigment Color

Carbon Black Black, Gray

Chromium Oxide Green

Iron Oxide Red, Brown

Ochre Yellow
Materials Used for
Sand Lime Bricks

1. Sand

- Calcium silicate bricks contains

high amount of sand about 88% to
92%
2. Lime

• Lime content in calcium silicate

bricks varies from 8% to 12%

• The lime used shall be of good

quality and high calcium lime
3. Water

- Clean water should be used

4. Pigments

- Pigments are generally used to

give color to the bricks
 E. Concrete
Bricks
-created by pouring concrete into a mold
to cast and generate a uniformly- sized
brick product.

- Average compressive stress is around

3000- 4000 Psi

- exhibits absorbency values of 40- 80

grams/ minutes across its surface area
 Engineering
Bricks
-are specifi cally made to exhibit both
high compressive strength and low
porosity.

- often used in construction where the

overall strength of the material, as well
as its resistance to water and frost, are
important considerations.
Brick Class Compressive Strength Porosity
Class A 125 N/mm2(18,130 psi) 4.5%
Class B 75 N/mm2 (10,878 psi) 7%
ASTM specifi cations for Bricks

There are several ASTM specifi cations relevant to brick that are
noted below:

ASTM C62 - 17 – Standard Specifi cation for Building Brick

(Solid Masonry Units Made From Clay or Shale)

- covers structural and non-structural brick for applications

where the external appearance of the brick is not a
requirement.
A S T M C 2 1 6 – S p e c i fi c a t i o n f o r Fa c i n g B r i c k ( S o l i d M a s o n r y U n i t s M a d e
Fr o m C l ay o r S h a l e )

- talks about the material used as a facing such as a facade

A S T M C 6 7 – Te s t M e t h o d s f o r S a m p l i n g a n d Te s t i n g B r i c k a n d S t r u c t u r a l
C l ay T i l e .

- s p e c i fi c a l l y a d d re s s e s t e s t s t h a t i n c l u d e m o d u l u s o f r u p t u re , c o m p re s s i v e
s t re n g t h , a b s o r p t i o n , s a t u r a t i o n c o e ffi c i e n t , t h e e ff e c t o f f re e z i n g a n d t h a w i n g ,
e ffl o re s c e n c e , t h e i n i t i a l r a t e o f a b s o r p t i o n , a n d d e t e rm i n a t i o n o f w e i g h t , s i z e ,
w a r p a g e , l e n g t h c h a n g e , a n d v o i d a re a
Thank You!