Introduction
Reinforced brick concrete is a building material that combines reinforcement, brick or block infills, and cement mortar binding.
It is widely used in the construction industry due to its strength, durability and resistance to natural calamities.
Description
A major advantage of reinforced brick concrete is that it overcomes the weakness of concrete in tension.
In slabs, lintels and beams, the concrete below the neutral axis does not contribute to resisting the load and acts only as a filler material.
To achieve economy, bricks or tiles can be used to replace concrete in the tensile zone.
A dense cement mortar is used to embed the reinforcement, which can be steel bars, expanded mesh or other material.
The type and size of reinforcement used in reinforced brick concrete construction depends on the load bearing capacity of the structure and local building codes and regulations.
Reinforced brick concrete provides a cost effective alternative to traditional masonry and concrete construction methods.
It is commonly used for load-bearing walls, foundations, retaining walls, and other structural elements, and offers better thermal insulation, fire resistance, and resistance to weathering and earthquakes than traditional brickwork or plain concrete.