38
A. K. Mirasa and C.-S. Chong
2.1 Description of the Interlocking Brick
As stated in BS 6073-1:1981, clause 3.12, brick is a masonry structure that has
measurements less than 337.5 mm length, 225 mm width and 112.5 mm height.
Any unit with a higher dimension of these afore-mentioned sides is known as
block. Commonly, bricks can be produced from clay by using high firing method
or by binding cement paste. While burnt or baked brick method has brought a lot
of shortcomings to the environment, which is the greenhouse gas emission and
consumption of high amount of energy, the interlocking brick of this research is
innovated to reduce the usage of cement and eliminate the firing procedure.
Interlocking brick system has adopted soil as a major raw material. Morris and
Booysen (2000) had emphasized that the utilization of soil that is a commonly
available resource for construction has facilitated the appropriate and sustainable
technology for the built environment and the advantageous bring across the economic spectrum and a wide variety of social or technology development. With the
hydrometer tests, the utilized soil of this research is classified as clayey soil. As stated
by Walker (1995), the plasticity index of the most ideal soil for producing the cement
soil brick is within the range of 5–15, whereas soils have plasticity index larger than
20–25 are not appropriate to cement stabilization with manual pressing owing to the
problems of low compressive strength, excessive drying shrinkage and inadequate
durability. In general, the plasticity index of the utilized soil of this research has
always been examined and to ensure the soil has the acceptable plasticity index.
According to ASTM C129, the minimum required unit compressive strength of
brick is 2.5 N/mm
2 . By conducting the experimental test, it has found that the unit
compressive strength of the produced interlocking brick is broadly above 5 N/mm
2 .
Based on the research investigation of Jayasinghe (2007), the required design compressive stress of the wall for constructing a 5.0 m high wall to sustain 0.12 N/mm
2
roof load is 1.4 N/mm
2 . The compressive strength of the constructed interlocking
brick walls in this research has satisfied this required strength.
Moreover, the wet strength of this produced interlocking brick has been examined. With reference to New Mexico Earthen Building Material code, the Australian
Standard and the New Zealand Standard, the wet strength of the brick should be
higher than half of its dry strength. The obtained wet strength results of this interlocking brick have fulfilled these standards. As a conclusion, the structural behaviour
of the innovated interlocking brick construction system has been assessed and the
results are satisfactory. Thus, this interlocking brick construction system is apt and
competent to be a load-carrying member of a building.
The interlocking brick, which is used to construct the green building in this
research, is demonstrated in Fig. 1. Basically, the alignment of the wall system
can be formed in terms of the faces of the brick. As illustrated in Fig. 1, these faces
can be termed as end faces (header), top face, bottom face, stretcher (front face) and
back face.
A. K. Mirasa and C.-S. Chong
2.1 Description of the Interlocking Brick
As stated in BS 6073-1:1981, clause 3.12, brick is a masonry structure that has
measurements less than 337.5 mm length, 225 mm width and 112.5 mm height.
Any unit with a higher dimension of these afore-mentioned sides is known as
block. Commonly, bricks can be produced from clay by using high firing method
or by binding cement paste. While burnt or baked brick method has brought a lot
of shortcomings to the environment, which is the greenhouse gas emission and
consumption of high amount of energy, the interlocking brick of this research is
innovated to reduce the usage of cement and eliminate the firing procedure.
Interlocking brick system has adopted soil as a major raw material. Morris and
Booysen (2000) had emphasized that the utilization of soil that is a commonly
available resource for construction has facilitated the appropriate and sustainable
technology for the built environment and the advantageous bring across the economic spectrum and a wide variety of social or technology development. With the
hydrometer tests, the utilized soil of this research is classified as clayey soil. As stated
by Walker (1995), the plasticity index of the most ideal soil for producing the cement
soil brick is within the range of 5–15, whereas soils have plasticity index larger than
20–25 are not appropriate to cement stabilization with manual pressing owing to the
problems of low compressive strength, excessive drying shrinkage and inadequate
durability. In general, the plasticity index of the utilized soil of this research has
always been examined and to ensure the soil has the acceptable plasticity index.
According to ASTM C129, the minimum required unit compressive strength of
brick is 2.5 N/mm
2 . By conducting the experimental test, it has found that the unit
compressive strength of the produced interlocking brick is broadly above 5 N/mm
2 .
Based on the research investigation of Jayasinghe (2007), the required design compressive stress of the wall for constructing a 5.0 m high wall to sustain 0.12 N/mm
2
roof load is 1.4 N/mm
2 . The compressive strength of the constructed interlocking
brick walls in this research has satisfied this required strength.
Moreover, the wet strength of this produced interlocking brick has been examined. With reference to New Mexico Earthen Building Material code, the Australian
Standard and the New Zealand Standard, the wet strength of the brick should be
higher than half of its dry strength. The obtained wet strength results of this interlocking brick have fulfilled these standards. As a conclusion, the structural behaviour
of the innovated interlocking brick construction system has been assessed and the
results are satisfactory. Thus, this interlocking brick construction system is apt and
competent to be a load-carrying member of a building.
The interlocking brick, which is used to construct the green building in this
research, is demonstrated in Fig. 1. Basically, the alignment of the wall system
can be formed in terms of the faces of the brick. As illustrated in Fig. 1, these faces
can be termed as end faces (header), top face, bottom face, stretcher (front face) and
back face.