A masonry unit of clay, formed into a rectangular prism while plastic and hardened by drying in the sun or firing in a kiln

• Brick

• Glass

• Common brick

• Facing brick

Brick made for general building purposes and not specially treated for color and texture. Also called building brick.

• Common brick

• Facing brick

Brick made of special clays for facing a wall, often treated to produce the desired color and surface texture.

• Common brick

• Facing brick

A designation indicating the permissible variation in size, color, chippage, and distortion allowed in a facing brick unit

• Brick type

• Brick grade

A designation indicating the durability of a brick unit when exposed to weathering

• Brick type

• Brick grade

The weight of water absorbed by a clay masonry unit when immersed in either cold or boiling water for a stated length of time, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the dry unit

• Absorption

• Saturation coefficient

• Suction

• Efflorescence

The ratio of the weight of water absorbed by a clay masonry unit immersed in cold water to the weight absorbed when immersed in boiling water, indicating the probable resistance of the brick to the action of freezing and thawing

• Absorption

• Saturation coefficient

• Suction

• Efflorescence

The weight of water absorbed by a clay masonry unit when partially immersed for one minute, expressed in grams or ounces per minutes. Also called initial rate of absorption.

• Absorption

• Saturation coefficient

• Suction

• Efflorescence

A white, powdery deposit that forms on an exposed masonry or concrete surface, caused by the leeching and crystallization of soluble salts from within the material

• Absorption

• Saturation coefficient

• Suction

• Efflorescence

The process of forming brick by molding relatively wet clay having a moisture content of 20% to 30%

• Soft-mud process

• Stiff-mud process

• Dry-press process