Brickworks are components of durable masonry construction in which uniformly shaped individual units are laid in courses with mortar as the bed and binding material. They consist of high mass materials with good compressive strength formed into units that can be lifted and handled by a single worker. Materials used can include brick, stone (e.g. marble, granite, travertine, limestone), manufactured stone, concrete, glass, stucco and tile.
Brickwork is usually left exposed for its aesthetic qualities and blockwork is usually rendered, but most bricks and blocks can be used as facing materials or given a render coating.
Brickwork is made from selected clays moulded or cut into shape and fired in ovens. The firing transforms the clay into a building component with high compressive strength and excellent weathering qualities, attributes that have been exploited for millennia.
Clay bricks are affordable, readily available, mass-produced, thoroughly tested modular building components.ย
Their most desirable acoustic and thermal properties derive from their relatively high mass. They require little or no maintenance and possess high durability and load bearing capacity.
Concrete bricks are the same size and intended for the same uses as clay bricks. They share many of the same attributes of clay bricks but may require more control joints, may stain more easily and their colour may be subject to fading over time. They are more porous than clay bricks and must be sealed to prevent water penetration.
The use of clay and concrete brickwork is informed by extensive research, manufacturing and construction experience.