The lightest brick by weight. Brick is out of fashion and out of time! Characteristics of a brick. Material for building a house

The construction market meets us with such an abundance of wall materials that sometimes you don’t know who to go to with questions and how to study everything that is offered. Here we classify traditional building bricks, which, despite their "advanced" age of several thousand years, do not lose their popularity as a reliable, durable, weather-resistant material.

What does an unprepared person know about him? Most people distinguish only red and white bricks, but there are more types of this stone, and they differ not only in color, but also in shape, size, composition of raw materials and production technologies. So what do you need to know about brick?

First of all, you need to understand that there are two kingdoms - Private brick and facial brick (these are the correct names according to GOST). The body of the wall is built with an ordinary brick, the outer surface of the wall is trimmed with a face brick. We classify facing bricks separately. Further, we are only talking about an ordinary brick.

Consider the characteristics of bricks important for laying walls when the brick is not visible from the outside.

Brick is a building material, a small artificial stone of the correct form.

This is a standard building material (it is called so - standard brick, or wall, red, backing, clay, working brick), which is used to build walls, less often foundations. It does not require high aesthetic qualities, so cracks and chips are not yet a sign of poor quality stone. In modern suburban construction, multilayer wall structures are adopted, so that an ordinary brick is most often hidden under insulation and decoration.

Types of ordinary bricks by material

Ceramic brick

Made from clay (sometimes a mixture of various clays), after molding and drying, it went through high-temperature firing (about 1000 ° C). This is the most recognizable red brick. A high-quality stone has a matte rough surface, emits a characteristic sonorous sound upon impact, is porous and uniform, light at a break. The requirements for clay bricks are presented in GOST 530-2012 "Brick and ceramic stones".

Brick ceramic clinker

Theoretically, clinker bricks can be used as an ordinary brick. But usually clinker bricks are brought from afar, it requires special refractory clay and increased energy consumption for firing, therefore it is expensive, without significant advantages for the wall structure. Therefore, it is produced and used mainly as a facing brick.

silicate brick

Made from a mixture of sand and lime (90% quartz sand and 10% air lime), instead of roasting, it is steamed in an autoclave. It is usually recognizable by its white color, however, on request, it can be made with the addition of a colored pigment, for use as a face.

The main advantage is the low price. It has a slightly lower thermal conductivity than ceramic, but still such a brick is not “warm” enough for a modern cottage. Disadvantages - high hygroscopicity (absorbs water), low frost resistance (F50) and more weight.

The requirements for the quality, size and appearance of silicate bricks are similar to those for ceramic bricks and are set out in GOST 379-2015 "Silicate bricks, stones, blocks and slabs".

Silicate brick is not as versatile as ceramic, it cannot be used in foundations and basements. fireplaces, stoves and other critical structures.

Concrete brick

It happens vibropressed and hyperpressed - the difference in pressure during manufacture). It is rarely used for building walls of houses. Made from cement. Very heavy, cold and expensive. Brick made of durable concrete grades can be used in places of high loads. Such bricks often contain salts, which, when wet, can seep onto the facade in the form of white efflorescence.

Refractory brick

Refractory, brick is designed for finishing stoves and fireplaces. There are brands of ceramic bricks for laying stoves. A more specific look, for the hottest zone of the firebox, is fireclay bricks. It is easily recognizable by its characteristic sand color. It is resistant to strong heat and is able to withstand temperatures up to 1650 ° C.

Brick size and weight

Standard sizes in construction are three (difference in height):

• Single brick (single row) - 250 x 120 x 65 mm, weight 2–2.3 kg
• One and a half brick (thickened) - 250 x 120 x 88 mm, weight 3–3.2 kg
• Double brick (2NF) - 250 x 120 x 138 mm, weight 4.8–5 kg

There are also wedge-shaped bricks for laying radius elements.

There are more standard sizes of face bricks for wall decoration, but we consider only ordinary bricks. Ceramic stones of large dimensions are already called building blocks.

Brick strength

The most important characteristic of a brick is strength, that is, the ability to resist deformations and internal stresses without collapsing. According to the strength indicator, the brick is divided into grades, denoted by the letter "M" with a numerical designation: brick M-50, brick M-75, brick M-100, etc. The number indicates the permissible load in kilograms per square centimeter in accordance with GOST 530-2012. The higher the numerical value of the brand, the stronger the brick.

brick construction

The brick is corpulent and hollow (slotted).

Solid brick - not having voids (through holes) or with voids not exceeding 13%.

Hollow brick (slotted or perforated) - having through holes (voids) of various shapes and sizes, due to which it has less weight and greater heat-insulating ability.

Hollow brick is cheaper to produce. The use of hollow ordinary bricks reduces the load on the foundation. The difference in thermal conductivity is not very significant when comparing the thermal conductivity of finished masonry. Fastening some types of facade finishes to slotted bricks can be unreliable. Solid brick better withstands loads (vertical and pull-out fasteners).

Frost resistance of brick

The resistance of a brick to changes in temperature and humidity is determined by such a quality as frost resistance - the ability of the material to withstand the change of thawing and freezing in a water-saturated state. Frost resistance is indicated by the letter "F" with a numerical value and is measured in cycles: brick F-15, brick F-35, brick F-50, etc.

It is important to understand that the saturation of the brick with moisture in a cold climate does not occur from the outside, but from the inside of the premises. In our practice, we see how, in combination with improper finishing, the brick is actively destroyed by freezing moisture in it - this is a serious danger of operation.

The brand of frost resistance of bricks for construction is chosen in accordance with regulatory documentation, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region; the lower the frost resistance index, the cheaper the brick. This indicator must be checked before buying the material.

Thermal conductivity of a brick

Thermal conductivity - the ability of a brick to conduct thermal energy through its own volume. The actual thermal conductivity depends directly on the density of the material and on voids. So, heavy and durable clinker bricks of the M500 brand have the highest coefficient of thermal conductivity, and less durable ceramics of the M75 brand have the lowest.

Porous or light brick is made from alumina with the addition of burnable impurities. The product is also created from mountain flour (diatomite) or a mixture of alumina and tripoli by hyperpressing. It has an attractive appearance, geometrically correct shape, a variety of colors. It is used for internal and external wall cladding, the construction of interior partitions, heat-resistant types are suitable for the construction of fireplaces and stoves. In addition, it has soundproofing properties. Thanks to various shaped elements and corner junctions, it is suitable for the implementation of the most daring projects.

Product description

Light bricks have:

• simple production technology;
• resistance to aggressive chemicals;
• high mechanical strength and thermal stability.

The light weight reduces the overall size and weight of the units, reducing installation labor and labor costs. The insulating brick used for lining fireplaces and furnaces reduces the heating time of heating units, which saves on fuel. Do not contain toxic substances that are released during strong heating. A variety of sizes allow you to veneer any shape without trimming and fitting.

Light brick marking

Each batch of lightweight bricks has its own marking. A code of letters and numbers carries information about the manufactured product:

• private (P);
• facial (L);
• full-bodied (Po);
• hollow (Pu);
• the size;
• strength;
• frost resistance brand;
• density;
• GOST, in accordance with which the building material is manufactured.

A product made of clay of low weight has a standard size in cm: length - 25, width - 12 and thickness - about 9. With a decrease in the specific gravity of lightweight bricks, their thermal conductivity decreases. Taking into account the volumetric weight, light building material is divided into 3 classes - A, B and B in accordance with the approved specification of wall ceilings. Depending on the resistance to compression, they are 50, 75 and 100. The frost resistance of light bricks (Mrz 10) is lower than that of other types of products.

When is it applied?

When building walls, you can easily reduce their weight by using lightweight bricks. Wall slabs made from this building material have better thermal qualities than solid brick laying, and therefore can be thinner for the same operating conditions. If the masonry is thick and completely made of several bricks, a lighter material is preferred, since the numerous voids contain more air, and such brickwork has a greater thermal insulation capacity.

Fireclay material is used in the process of laying the furnace.

They are used for laying out a layer of thermal insulation in thermal units with heating, corresponding to the type of product:

• furnaces;
• boilers;
• fireplaces;
• evaporator units;
• chimneys.

Product dimensions

A light type of brick is produced in three sizes indicated in the table:

The use of large blocks is much more profitable than standard ones, since the number of rows in the masonry is reduced, and the consumption of the binder solution is reduced, and labor productivity is increased. The use of porous lightweight material reduces the thickness of the outer walls and leads to a reduction in the cost of work. It is not used for the construction of load-bearing walls due to the fact that its density characteristic is low. It is not recommended to use it in foundations, socles of buildings and wall ceilings in rooms with high humidity due to poor resistance to sub-zero temperatures, because in these cases the material's heat retention properties do not fulfill their function.

Other characteristics

Impurities affect the properties of clayey sedimentary rocks. Thus, with an increase in the content of silicates, the binding property of clays decreases and the porosity of the burned products increases, and the strength becomes lower. Iron compounds at a high melting point reduce the fire resistance of clay. Salt of carbonic acid and calcium reduces thermal stability and duration of sintering, increases compression during firing and porosity, resulting in reduced strength and frost resistance. Sodium and potassium oxides lower the temperature conditions for alumina sintering.

By purpose, building materials are classified as follows:

• facing - textured and shaped;
• fireclay or oven;
• to create wall coverings.

Lightweight brick is represented by the following forms:

• end;
• wedge;
• suspended;
• trapezoidal;
• shaped.

Regardless of the configuration, lightweight brick has the right texture, smooth edges and right angles. Depending on the filling, they distinguish - and hollow.

It is difficult to imagine a more popular and versatile building material than brick. Private and high-rise buildings are built from it, and it is used to organize and erect partitions, they are lined and laid out with stoves. Brick has acquired such a wide application due to its exceptional performance and diversity. The latter, by the way, can be confusing, because it’s not so easy to say right away which brick to choose for building a house, cladding, furnishing or interior partitions - before buying, you need a little theoretical preparation.

No. 1. Types of bricks according to the material of manufacture

Various kinds of raw materials can be used for the production of bricks. Manufacturing technology can also vary greatly, which explains the differences in the properties of different types of bricks. At the moment, there are

• ceramic;
• silicate;
• hyperpressed;
• clinker;
• fireclay.

The first two are also divided into ordinary and depending on the appearance, as well as corpulent and hollow, depending on the structure. Brick also differs in size, color, strength, frost resistance and other parameters.

No. 2. Ceramic brick: pros, cons, production

In the production of ceramic bricks, one of the following is used formation methods:

• plastic. The original clay mass has a moisture content of 15-21%, the brick is produced by extrusion. Hollow bricks are made in vacuum plants. Plastic forming brick is more resistant to frost and is great for building a house;
• semi-dry and dry. Clay has a lower moisture content (7-12% depending on the production characteristics), it is crushed into powder, from which raw brick is formed in presses without drying or with reduced drying, which is then fed to firing. The main advantage is the accuracy of the geometry.

ceramic brick applied everywhere: when laying, erecting load-bearing walls and partitions, facing buildings, to perform. To the main benefits include a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, ease of installation, long service life, environmental friendliness, good heat and sound insulation and reasonable price. Minuses are due to improper production, as a result of which products with low durability and irregular geometry may occur, so trust only products.

No. 3. Silicate brick: pros and cons

Silicate brick has received the greatest distribution in the domestic space, and The main reason for its popularity is its low price.. It is produced from a mixture of quartz sand (90%), lime (about 10%) and additives. White color, but by adding coloring pigments, other shades can be achieved. The brick is formed by dry pressing, and the setting is obtained due to the chemical reaction of lime slaking. The reaction is accelerated in autoclaves at elevated temperature and pressure.

Among the main benefits silicate brick:

Minuses:

• high weight and fragility, so it is difficult to handle the material;
• high level of thermal conductivity - you need a thorough one;
• low moisture resistance and the ability to collapse under the influence of moisture and chemicals, therefore, the material is not at all suitable for building foundations;
• instability to high temperatures - silicate brick is not used in the arrangement of furnaces and chimneys;
• little variety. Sand-lime bricks are always rectangular blocks with precise straight lines, without roundness and complex elements.

If you don’t know which brick to choose for the construction of partitions and walls, and the budget is limited, then you can stop at silicate. It is still the most popular in private construction, but it is better not to use it for the foundation.

No. 4. Hyper-pressed brick: production technology and features

Hyper-pressed brick, if you look, looks more like. It is based on screenings of calcareous rocks, shell rock, dolomite, marble, the share of which reaches 90%. Cement is used to bind limestone, and iron oxides or other natural components are used to give the material color. The solvent is ordinary water. The mixture, homogeneous in structure, is sent under the press, and under the influence of high temperatures, individual particles are fused together, which makes it possible to obtain the strongest material with precise geometry. After that, the brick is steamed and sent for rustication.

Advantages:

Minuses:

• high price;
• big weight;
• high thermal conductivity.

Hyper pressed brick used exclusively for cladding facades and plinths, can be used for fireplace mantels and for interior decorative finishes.

No. 5. Chamotte refractory brick

Fireclay bricks are made from fireclay clay (about 70%), which is fired until plasticity is lost, then crushed and formed into a product. In fact, this is the same ceramic brick, but due to the unique properties of the clay included in its composition, it receives resistance to temperatures up to 1700 0 С. Fireclay bricks are distinguished by their straw color, may have brown and reddish blotches, are produced both in the correct shape and in wedge-shaped, angular and other shapes for ease of laying.

Despite the fact that ordinary ceramic bricks can easily withstand temperatures up to 800 0 C, fireclay bricks are usually used, as they accumulate and slowly release heat. It is used not only for the internal arrangement of furnaces, but also for.

No. 6. Clinker brick

Clinker bricks are made from special refractory grades of clay, including shale clay. During the production of the material, the temperature rises to 1100 0 C, so the individual particles are sintered, and all voids are filled. The choice of raw materials is approached carefully, so the result is durable monolithic brick, which has resistance to negative temperatures, environmental friendliness, heat resistance and high durability. The variety of shapes, colors and surface types is huge, which allows the use of clinker bricks for facade cladding, and for arranging stoves and chimneys. Among cons material high cost and thermal conductivity.

No. 7. Building and facing bricks

depending from the field of application, the brick is divided into:

• construction or ordinary;
• facing or front, facade.

building brick, as the name suggests, is used to build foundations, walls and partitions. After the construction of the outer walls, they must be protected and insulated. Such a brick may contain small chips, but it must have an accurate geometry. Construction can be ceramic and silicate brick.

Facing brick distinguished by the most precise geometry and interesting appearance, it is used for finishing facades, plinths, and can be used in interior decoration. Facing can be ceramic and silicate bricks, as well as hyper-pressed and clinker. Appearance may vary considerably. It is customary to divide the facing brick into textured and shaped. The first one has a standard shape, but has a decorative surface, the second one has complex profile configurations and is used for arranging arches and other non-standard architectural forms.

Type of facing brick surface:

• smooth matte or glossy;
• rusticated, when irregularities of a convex shape are created on the surface;
• corrugated with irregularities of the depressed type;
• broken, when the surface has chips or breaks (often this is found in hyper-pressed bricks).

As for shades, then each manufacturer offers its own set of colors, and there are also bricks with an interesting color transition. Gamma is represented by almost all colors of the spectrum: from light shades to almost black.

hollow brick It is distinguished by the presence of chambers or holes of a round, rectangular or square shape, they can be through or closed on one side, horizontal or vertical. The hollowness of silicate brick can reach 30%, ceramic - up to 45%. Due to the voids, savings in raw materials are achieved, therefore, such a brick costs less, and due to its low weight, it is more convenient to work with it. But its main advantage is thermal insulation properties because air is trapped inside the voids. Typically, such a brick is used for the construction of interior partitions and facade cladding, rarely for laying lightweight exterior walls, and never for arranging stoves and chimneys. It is worth remembering that this is a rather fragile material, and the masonry mortar must be thick so as not to flow into voids.

Worth mentioning separately porous brick. These are blocks of rather large sizes, the thermal conductivity of which is 0.14-0.26 W / m 0 C, and the larger the block, the lower its thermal conductivity. Such indicators bring the brick closer to, and even, and record values ​​\u200b\u200bare achieved due to special production technology. Porous differs from ordinary ceramic bricks in that wood chips are added to the clay, which burn out during the firing process, forming voids, and they, in turn, contribute to thermal insulation. Depending on the desired thermal conductivity and strength grade, one or another amount of sawdust is added.

Working with porous bricks is not very convenient, but the walls are built very quickly. Moreover, there are special channels in such products where vertical reinforcement can be poured, and this is an excellent solution for building warm houses in seismic areas. At first glance it may seem that porous bricks are too expensive, but if you calculate the price per cubic meter, you will find that it is not much higher than for ordinary ceramic bricks.

No. 9. brick size

After the color, type and nature of the filling is determined, the following question arises - what size brick is needed. According to GOST 530-2007, standard brick has dimensions of 250 * 120 * 65 mm, and all standard sizes are defined relative to it:

Historically, it has been brick faces called the bed (the working largest part of the product), the spoon part (the long side edge) and the poke (the smallest edge). Some manufacturers and stores operate with precisely these concepts, so it will not be superfluous to remember them.

Knowing what kind of structure (or finish) is to be completed, given its size and the dimensions of the most suitable type of brick, you can easily calculate how much material is needed, but it’s still better to take it with a margin.

No. 10. Brand of brick by strength

When it comes to the construction of foundations and walls of buildings, such an indicator of brick as strength, which is determined by the brand, comes first. Strength refers to the ability of a material to withstand a load, or in other words weight that can support 1 cm 2 bricks without deforming. This parameter is reflected in the brand. For example, a brick that can withstand a load of 100 kg / cm 2 is M100. Today bricks are produced from M75 to M300:

Strength data must be indicated in the technical data sheet of the product. It's hard to tell the brand by eye., and if possible, then only approximately. So, for example, if a brick, when struck with a hammer, crumbles into particles the size of crushed stone, then this is a low-quality product. If it takes several blows to break a brick, then this product is of medium strength. When hit with a hammer on a brick of grade M150 and higher, it will spark, at most it will be possible to beat off a few small pieces. To be sure to choose a high-quality, strong and durable brick, it is better to turn to products that indicate honest product information and produce bricks in accordance with all requirements. It is also worth noting that the final strength of the wall being built will also depend on the masonry mortar.

No. 11. Frost resistance of brick

Since the climate in most regions of the country is harsh, when choosing a brick, it is worth considering the frost resistance indicator, it is designated as Mrz and measured in successive freezing and thawing cycles, which do not affect the basic properties of the material. For central Russia, it is better to take a brick with a frost resistance index at least 30-50 cycles, for the most severe regions with a cold climate and changeable winter weather, there is a brick with MRP 100. If the winters in the region are mild, then you can stop at the minimum indicators.

No. 12. What else to consider when choosing a brick?

When buying a brick, take enough time to visually inspect it and study the accompanying documentation:

With such a variety of products and a huge number of possible areas of its use, it is difficult to derive the only correct formula for the ideal material and clearly answer the question of which brick is better to choose. The main thing is that the products are of high quality and meet the declared characteristics, which largely depends on the honesty of the manufacturer (large companies value their name), and it is easy to determine the necessary strength, fullness, color, shape and size on your own, based on the purpose of use and the advice given.

Man has been building his houses from wooden logs since time immemorial, and from brick for many hundreds of years, ever since he managed to burn clay on fire and realized that the resulting material is durable, beautiful and convenient for building walls of a dwelling. In ancient Egypt, there were already buildings made of baked bricks, and various structures made of raw brick date back to earlier eras.

Of course, the manufacturing technology of modern brick is strikingly different from the ancient one, but the popularity of this building material is still high. Those who are accustomed to the depressing monotony that prevailed on the building materials market in the Soviet era will most likely be pleasantly surprised and even delighted to see how many varieties of bricks are offered today to a potential buyer. The information in this article will help you not to drown in this sea of ​​​​colors and shapes, in which we will try to determine which brick is best to use for building a house.

solid brick

So, let's start with the most inexpensive and common option - an ordinary solid brick. It is not worth describing it in detail: everyone already perfectly imagines this rectangular bar of reddish color, which does not have any holes and other "excesses". Due to its strength and frost resistance, this type of brick is most often used to create columns and vaults, as well as the basis of masonry, which then requires plastering or coating with other facing material.

hollow brick

A brick, which incorporates through or non-through cavities, is commonly called hollow. Such material not only retains heat better in the apartment, but also helps to reduce material costs during its production and transportation, and reduces the load on the foundation.


If, during the production of such a brick, sawdust is also added to the mixture, which then burns out, leaving the smallest voids, then its variety will be obtained, called hollow porous. This type of brick has even greater sound and heat insulation.

Brick facing

The facing brick differs from other types in the increased durability and resistance to adverse weather conditions. Because of this, it is widely used in buildings. The so-called textured variety is obtained by splicing a base consisting of red-burning clay with a coating of white-burning clay.

Many decorative varieties of bricks are also produced. Some of them, thanks to the use of a special additive, acquire a bright, unusual color, others are made in special figured forms that give their surface a special pattern (oak bark, turtle, etc.).

Glazed or engobed bricks are used to create colored panels both indoors and outdoors. The only difference between them is that in the first case, the glaze is applied to an already fired workpiece.

And in the second - on a carefully dried raw material and only then is fired.

Technological nuances then affect its quality. Figured brick has a non-standard shape, it is mainly used for external work, when it is required to create non-standard architectural solutions (arches, columns, bay windows, etc.). It is also very popular in landscape design.

The firing of clinker bricks is carried out at a very high temperature (about 1800 degrees Celsius), as a result of which all its constituent components are sintered into a single monolith, which has excellent performance characteristics.

Due to the absence of pores, clinker bricks are extremely durable, frost-resistant and practically do not absorb moisture. These features allow it to be used in the most difficult conditions.

However, even it is surpassed in strength by fireclay bricks, which can withstand temperatures up to 1500 degrees Celsius. This effect is achieved due to the fact that in the production of this building material a mixture of chamotte powder and ground refractory clay is used, which is fired at a very high temperature.

Most often, fireclay bricks are used in the construction of fireplaces and chimneys. It can be distinguished by its sandy-yellowish color and granular base, as well as by the fact that when tapped, this material makes a sound that somewhat resembles a metal one.

Porous ceramic brick is the ideal brick for building your home.

At present, the most profitable and environmentally justified solution is the construction of a residential building from porous ceramic bricks. Ceramic porous blocks, the production of which is based on the classic firing of clay, the most modern building material for erecting walls of warm houses, both individual buildings and multi-apartment buildings up to 6 floors high.

The porous brick surpasses the classic red brick in all characteristics: it retains heat better, weighs less and it is possible to build thinner walls from it. All this together allows you to reduce the load on the foundation of the building and use less reinforcement.

In addition, porous ceramic bricks are much larger: the volume of one block is equal to 10-15 standard bricks put together, therefore, during construction, you can save on mortar, erection time and the number of labor required for construction.
A building made of porous blocks does not require additional wall insulation, which makes it possible to obtain the most environmentally friendly housing for a person. A wooden house can be compared with it, but only an old building made of huge logs of centuries-old trees.

What is a porous ceramic brick?

This is a building material based on clay with the addition of sawdust, molded into large blocks and fired in a kiln. During the firing of the block, sawdust burns out, leaving small voids in the brick - pores. Due to these pores, high frost resistance of the brick, increased noise insulation and a reduction in the weight of the block itself are achieved.

Such a brick has unique thermal insulation properties, as well as the ability to retain "internal" heat much longer. This allows you to significantly save on heating, not to use additional heat-insulating means and maintains a microclimate (temperature-humidity) inside the walls that is most convenient for a person.

Additional advantages of porous ceramic bricks are its shape and large format. A large, but light in weight block (about 1.3 times lighter than an ordinary brick) is quite simple in masonry technology, and the corrugated “spoon” sides can significantly save on the amount of mortar for laying and erecting walls.

Thus, there is an acceleration of construction due to an increase in the rate of masonry by about three times. The walls may be thinner than usual, but their strength will be very high. Plastering walls from porous blocks is much easier. The corrugated surface holds a layer of plaster well, which is applied evenly and very economically.

If you are interested in the quick and high-quality construction of the walls of your house - choose porous ceramic bricks.

The advantages of this material for the construction of houses are undeniable: saving money when using it is very significant. By spending a little more on the purchase of porous blocks than on a standard brick, you will significantly benefit from the total amount spent on building the house as a whole.

I hope this article was able to answer the question: “What kind of brick to use to build a house?”

Even non-professionals know that ordinary building bricks are not suitable for the construction of stoves, fireplaces and outdoor barbecues. Rather, only the outer part can be built from it, and special refractory materials are needed for the firebox.

Such material is light fireclay brick, which has excellent refractory and heat-insulating properties.

Material Description

In addition to fireclay clay, sawdust, peat and other organic materials are added to the mass for the manufacture of such bricks, which burn out at high temperatures accompanying firing, leaving behind closed, air-filled pores. This reduces the weight of the product and reduces its thermal conductivity. Due to the repeated transition of thermal waves from one medium to another, lightweight brick has excellent thermal insulation properties.

Brands of lightweight fireclay bricks

Depending on the weight and volume, such a brick is divided into grades.

It is denoted by the abbreviation SHL or STL, where

• Ш - designation of fireclay composition of the material;
• L - weight category (lightweight);
• T - an indication that talc is present in the composition.

For reference. To characterize porous materials, the concepts of true and apparent density are used. The true density is called without taking into account voids, and the apparent density is the ratio of the mass of a brick to the volume it occupies.

The apparent density, which a lightweight refractory brick has, is one of its most important characteristics. The lower it is, the more air in the material, the lower its weight and thermal conductivity.

However, along with an increase in the volume of pores, the strength of the brick decreases, the coefficient of elasticity and resistance to loads decrease. Accordingly, the service life is reduced.

The most popular are the following brands:

• ShL-0.4 - ultra-lightweight products with an apparent density of 0.4 kg / cm 3. Their weight is only 0.7 kg. Used for lining furnaces with a maximum temperature of 1150 degrees Celsius.
• ShL-1.0 and ShL-1.3 are lightweight ceramic products with the apparent density corresponding to the marking. Their weight depends on the size and can vary from 1.7 to 2.2 kg for ShL-1.0 and from 2.0 to 2.6 kg for ShL-1.3. Withstand temperatures up to 1300 degrees, while maintaining their passport properties.

Shapes and sizes

If the double silicate brick M 150 is used for the construction of walls and therefore only a straight standard form is produced, then shaped products are required for the installation of furnaces and chimneys in various furnaces. Therefore, fireclay bricks are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which are regulated by GOST 21436-2004 and GOST 8691-73.

There are about 50 sizes in total, but the most popular are direct products:

• ShL-5 - with linear dimensions 230x114x65 mm;
• ShL-8 - with linear dimensions 250x124x65 mm.

Application area

The material is used for laying a heat-insulating layer in various thermal units with a heating temperature corresponding to the brand of brick:

• Electric and thermal furnaces;
• boilers;
• Steam pipelines;
• Evaporators;
• heaters;
• Domestic stoves and fireplaces;
• Chimneys.

Distinctive features and advantages

Compared with ordinary fireclay or ceramic bricks, lightweight bricks have a lot of advantages and unique qualities.

• High mechanical strength.
• Excellent thermal stability, the ability to withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures without loss of properties.
• Resistant to aggressive chemicals.
• The ability to provide cost savings for the operation of thermal units.
• Light weight makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions and weight of these units, thereby reducing labor costs for their construction and, accordingly, the cost of work.
• The instruction allows the use of lightweight bricks for facing hearths in furnaces, as it has a low coefficient of linear expansion.
• The insulating fireclay brick used in the lining of the furnaces reduces the heating time of the furnaces by a factor of five, thus saving fuel.

Note. In batch furnaces, the furnace of which is lined with bricks of the ShL brand, fuel consumption is saved by 40-45%. And in continuous furnaces - about 10%.

• A variety of standard sizes allows you to do the lining of furnaces and fireplaces of almost any shape with your own hands without the need for trimming and fitting.
• This is an environmentally friendly product that does not contain harmful substances that could be released when heated.
• A simple manufacturing technology, thanks to which the price of fireclay bricks is very affordable.

Conclusion

If you are going to build a sauna, wood-burning stove or fireplace in your house, pay attention to the material that you have just studied. According to its characteristics, it is ideal for the installation of the furnace part and chimney (see also the article). If something remains unclear to you, in the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.