What Is A Pistol Brick In Building Construction?

What Is A Pistol Brick In Building Construction?

A pistol brick is a type of brick used in building construction that gets its name from its pistol shape. It can be laid either horizontally (as a stretcher) or vertically (as a ‘brick-on-edge’ or ‘soldier’).

Pistol bricks are often used to clad concrete- or steel-framed buildings, or low-rise cavity-wall construction, as they must be supported and tied back to the structure. They involve special manufacture and higher costs due to their unique shape.

The most common brickwork bond is the stretcher bond, where the vertical joints are staggered each time by half a brick.

Other types of bonds include raking stretcher bond, where the vertical joints are staggered each time by a quarter or three-quarters of the brick’s length; English bond, where every fifth or sixth course uses stretchers; and Flemish bond, which involves various lengths of bricks but never smaller than a quarter-brick.

The header bond involves laying facing bricks against each other so that only the edge joint remains, emphasizing the horizontal play with lines of the masonry.

Other terms associated with bricks or brickwork include arris (the sharp edge between two adjacent brick faces), bed (the lower surface on which masonry units like bricks are laid), cogging (similar to dog-tooth), course.

What Are The 3 Types Of Bricks?

There are three main types of bricks used in construction and civil engineering projects: facing bricks, engineering bricks, and common bricks.

Facing bricks are standard in size, stronger than other bricks, and have better durability. They are often used as the façade material of a building.

Engineering bricks are engineered to increase strength and resist damaging elements like fire and water. They are ideal for basements or other areas likely to deal with a lot of moisture.

Common bricks, also known as unburnt bricks, are the weakest type of brick. They are made from clay that is molded and dried directly under the sun.

What Is The Strongest Brick?

Class A engineering bricks are the strongest type of brick, with a high compressive strength and low water absorption capacity. They are used primarily in civil projects where strength and resilience against the elements are essential.

Class B engineering bricks are the most commonly used type of brick, as they offer good quality and strength. They have a uniform yellow or red color, regular texture, and uniform shape.

Common bricks have low resistance, low quality, and low compressive strength, while concrete bricks have low compression strength and are of low quality.

Fletton bricks are also popular engineering bricks that tend to have a pink, patchy color and a texture where bricks can be seen to be slightly curved.

Which Brick Is Best For House Construction?

Engineering bricks are the best type of brick for house construction. They have high compressive strength and low water absorption capacity, making them strong and sturdy.

They also have the good load-bearing capability, making them suitable for use in multi-story buildings. Additionally, they are resistant to noise from outside and can be used in clay soils.

Sand lime bricks are also a good option as they offer several advantages over fired clay bricks, such as superior load-bearing capability and high compressive strength. However, concrete bricks should be avoided due to their low quality and low compression strength.