Masonry Magazine April 1994 Page. 21
BIA Technical Notes
on Brick Construction
Brick Institute of America 11490 Commerce Park Drive, Reston, Virginia 22091
10в
REVISED
June
1993
BRICK SIZES AND RELATED INFORMATION
**Abstract:** This Technical Notes provides information on brick sizes and nomenclature. Standard nomenclature for the twelve most common brick sizes is given. The differences between nominal, specified and actual dimensions are explained. Vertical and horizontal coursing tables for modular and non-modular sizes are provided.
**Key Words:** actual dimension, brick, nominal dimension, size, specified dimension, standard nomenclature.
Brick Institute of America
June 1993
INTRODUCTION
Brick are available in many varied sizes and have been called by many different names. This proliferation of sizes and names can be confusing for the designer and specifier. The problem is further compounded by the need to distinguish between nominal, specified and actual dimensions. Recent efforts led jointly by the Brick Institute of America and the National Association of Brick Distributors have led to the development of standard nomenclature for brick which represent roughly 90 percent of all sizes currently manufactured.
This Technical Notes lists the sizes of brick units generally available in the United States and presents the standard nomenclature for brick sizes. The differences between nominal, specified and actual dimensions are explained. Guidance is given on the recommended order in which brick dimensions should be listed. Vertical and horizontal coursing tables are presented as an aid to the reader. Other Technical Notes in this series provide tables for estimating brick masonry and information on modular brick masonry.
BRICK SIZES AND NOMENCLATURE
Brick sizes have varied over the centuries, but have always been similar to present day sizes. The size of a brick has historically been small enough to be held in the hand, and most brick have remained small. Brick is a building element with a human scale. The use of small scale elements, such as brick, tends to break down massive expanses of wall into visually pleasing parts. Furthermore, the use of oversized units alters the scale of the masonry unit in relation to the wall. Because people have a perceived size of brick, the use of oversize units makes the wall appear smaller.
Over time new sizes have been developed to meet specific design, production or construction needs. New types of construction have required new sizes, such as hollow units for reinforced masonry and larger units for increased economy. Hollow units have varying coring patterns but typically are larger than standard or modular size and have larger cells to allow placement of vertical reinforcement. Units with larger face dimensions allow the bricklayer to lay more square foot of wall per day. Such units, compared to standard or modular size units, may increase the number of brick laid per day by over 50 percent. However, as units get larger and heavier, a point of diminishing return exists. Also, units with larger heights make filling the head joint with mortar more difficult.
Until now, a given brick size may have been known by several names due to regional variations. A joint committee of the Brick Institute of America and the National Association of Brick Distributors recently developed standard nomenclature for brick which represent roughly 90 percent of all sizes currently manufactured. The standard nomenclature for brick sizes is presented in Table 1. These terms were developed by a consensus process involving companies across the country. The use of these standard terms when describing brick is strongly recommended.
Table 2 lists other brick sizes that are produced by a limited number of manufacturers. Since clay is such a flexible medium, manufacturers can make many different sizes. Also, modular and non-modular sizes are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. The coring patterns shown in these figures are for illustrative purposes only. Manufacturers incorporate cores and cells in solid and hollow brick in many different sizes and patterns. The brick manufacturer should be consulted for information on sizes and coring patterns.
4d
BRICK
| MASONRY
MASONRY-MARCH/APRIL, 1994 21