Construction systems used in India: Conventional brick.
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Construction is a process in which a structure or a building is constructed and a construction system can be defined as a combination of structures including the technology, organization, and design process.
A typical construction process starts at the grass-root level, from planning, designing, costing, and much more which carry on till the last structure until it's fit for functioning. Construction works also cover maintenance, repair works, and even dismantling works.
In India, one of the most used construction systems is conventional bricks. These conventional bricks are a mixture of clay, sand, water, and binding material.
Bricks are of different kinds and they are
- Burnt clay bricks
- Fly ash bricks
- Engineering bricks
- Concrete bricks
- Calcium Silicate bricks
- Sun-dried or unburnt clay bricks
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In India, these bricks come as in three qualities, first-class, second class, and third class respectively. (the quality of the brick gets poorer as the ranking descends)
The history of bricks runs back to thousand years and it is manufactured in different colours. It is believed to be discovered in Turkey at the site of an ancient settlement around the city of Jericho. In India, bricks were introduced by Shah Jahan as they became a popular element in Mughal architecture. Using bricks in construction had its own merits and demerits.
Advantages of using conventional bricks in construction are:
- Economical
- Hard
- Durable
- Low maintenance cost
- Fire Resistant
- Can be made into different orientation and sizes
- Good compressive strength
- It causes less environmental pollution
- Reusable
- Demolition of the structure constructed with bricks are easy hence it is economic as well.
Some of its disadvantages are:
- Construction with bricks are time-consuming
- Can't be used in high seismic zones
- Low tensile strength
- Rough surfaces promote mold growth
- Cleaning is hard
- Loosing of color when exposed over a long period
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Conventional bricks are used widely not only in India but across the globe.
The construction itself is a big process and construction systems play a major role in deciding the structure/ building's durability, longevity, and more.