Introductory Chapter: Bricks between the Historical Usage and Sustainable Building Concept

Abstract

Bricks are the most frequent ceramic product and may be found in antique and modern structures. Together with stone and concrete, they are among the most used building materials [1]. Reading through history, we may see that throughout the Stone Age, cave dwellers erected structures for a variety of reasons out of fragments of rocks and boulders of various shapes; Menhirs, dolmens, and cromlechs have survived to this day-stone constructs used for religious purposes. Dwellings and fortresses were constructed from unhewn natural stone, the shards of which were piled on each other without any order. Brick is a common antique building material that has been used from ancient times, such as in Egypt's ancient dwellings, Rome's Colosseum, and many sections of China's Great Wall. One of the earliest construction materials is brick [2]. It was utilized in Mycenaean civilization, ancient Greece, Rome, Central America, and other ancient constructions. The oldest, used in prehistoric times, is dry masonry of irregularly shaped stones. Soil is a natural building material that can be seen everywhere, and it also has its unique style in traditional architecture. Like wood, stone has been the primary building material since ancient times. It has been used as a construction material since prehistoric times. The actual art of brickmaking may be observed in the great range of textures and surface treatments, which constitute a distinctive mark of each maker. Brick is now employed for resistant buildings, regular internal walls, interior or outside surface decorating, pavement, and even modern art installations. No other building feature provides as many opportunities for producing one-of-a-kind architectural effects. The most ancient type of bricks in the Western Hemisphere is a type of bricks as adobe [3]. Nicolas Durand et al. affirm that the precipitation of calcium carbonate is common in soils and regoliths, especially in soils of arid environments [4]. At the same time, calcareous porous clay can be found in dry regions worldwide but is mainly mined in Latin America, Mexico, and the southern United States are all included. Manzanilla et al. argue that the ancient Aztec tribe built the Pyramid of the Sun out of adobe in the fifteenth century and that it still stands today. In contrast to modern brick, ancient brick was square and flat (sides 30-60 cm, thickness 3-9 cm) [5]. There are generally two types of masonry: brick and stone masonry. Brick masonry: a type of masonry that uses bricks. However, masonry is further divided into "clay work," which uses clay to fill various joints with bricks to build walls, and "cement masonry," the cheapest type of masonry. Masonry: this is the art of building with bricks or stone. The ability of masonry to