bb january 2004

JANUARY 2004 B U L L E T I N

B R I C K

BREAKINGNEWS The lastestchanges to brickstandards

EUROPEANTOUR A round-up ofsome of the finestbrick buildings onthe Continent

BEST OFBRITISHShortlisted entriesfor the 2003 BrickAwards

HELP ATHANDEverything youneed to knowabout Europeanregulations

OPINIONWayne Sheppardof Ibstock Brick ona prematureobituary

MAKINGADIFFERENCERick Mather’s stunning Sloane Robinson building

RICK MATHER Architects’ Sloane RobinsonBuilding at Keble College, Oxford (above), tookthe Building of the Year accolade at the 2003BDA Brick Awards. It also won the Best PublicBuilding award.

The judges were impressed by thesculptural feel of the building and its creativeuse of stack-bonded soldier courses as anordering principle. Slim, handmade, Roman-style bricks give the building acontemporary aesthetic that makes a strikingresponse to the polychromatic brick of theneighbouring Butterfield building.

This is the second building Mather hasdesigned for Keble College, and it uses similarlanguage to his 1995 Arco building.

The awards were presented at a galaceremony held at Le Meridien GrosvenorHouse in London on 4 November. Thecomplete list of award winners is as follows:■ Best Single House: Tan-y-Coed House,Wrexham. Architect: Cosmo Lloyd.■ Best Private Housing Development: Fulham

Island, Fulham, London. The architect wasCZWG Architects.■ Best Public Housing Development: SilitoeCourt, Raleigh Park, Nottingham. Architect:Maber Associates.■ Volume Housebuilding Award: DavidMcLean Homes.■ Best Commercial Building: ManserAntiques, Shrewsbury. Architect: BaartHarries Newall.■ Best Public Building: Sloane RobinsonBuilding, Keble College, Oxford. Architect:Rick Mather Architects.■ Best Refurbishment Project: New Schools,Eton College, Eton. Architect:Corrigan + Soundy + Kilaiditi.■ Best Landscape Project: The Living Room,Dunbar Drive, Bolton. Artist: Isabella Lockett.■ Best Export Award: St Catherine’s Foyer &Sports Centre, Dublin. Architect: Brady &Mallalieu.■ Best Structural Use of Brick: Thornden Hall, Eastleigh, Hants. Architect: Hampshire

County Council. Structural engineer: Michael Dudfield Associates.■ Prefabrication Award: The Grove,Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Architect:Fitzroy Robinson.■ Specialist Brickwork Contractor of the Year:Marlborough Brickwork, Leeds.■ Best Craftsmanship Award: 20-32 BakerStreet, London W1. Architects: Norman &Dawbarn/Erith & Terry■ Sustainability Award: Denville Hall Phase 2,Northwood, Middx. Architect: AcanthusLawrence & Wrightson■ Special Award for Decorative Brickwork:Greenwich Millennium Village, London.Executive architect: EPR Architects■ BDA Building of the Year 2003: SloaneRobinson Building, Oxford. Architect: RickMather Architects.The BDA acknowledges the kind sponsorshipof Baggeridge Brick, CPI EuroMix, RDLDistribution and Readymix. For details of the2004 Brick Awards, call 01344-885651.

Mather wins best building prize

“ALL CHANGE but No Change”is the slogan adopted by theBrick Development Associationto spearhead its informationcampaign on Europeanstandards harmonizationlaunched last October. The aimis to alert the construction

industry to the introduction ofstandards such as BS EN 771-1,which will replace BS 3921.

But it is business as usual, foras Peter Watt, the BDA’s seniorstructural engineer remarked:“It is important to rememberthat UK clay bricks will remain

UK clay bricks, it is just themechanism by which they aretested and classified that will bedifferent. The Europeanstandard will affect the way thatbricks are technically defined interms of their performance, butit will not change the

manufactured product orrestrict the uses to which claybrick can be put.”

Peter Watt’s in-depth articleon harmonization is on page 14of this issue. For a free booklet,call the BDA on 01344-885651or email [email protected].

2 ● BRICK BULLETIN

New European brick standards explained

BRICK BULLETIN ● 3

This edition of Brick

Bulletin features the

building that won the

Brick Awards 2003, and

provides an opportunity

for a closer examination of its design

and construction.

As an architect, I am interested in the

way in which the designers have

exploited the potential of brick by

making simple yet telling alterations to

the standard pattern of bond and

course. Thoughtful design and skillful

execution are, as ever, a cost-effective

way to make buildings special.

This point is made forcibly in Brick. A

World History, recently published by

Thames & Hudson. James Campbell, the

author and Will Pryce, the photographer

traveled the world to compile a stunning

documentary of the story of brick from

5,000BC to the present day. This essay

in cultural and architectural history is

also a technical survey of brickmaking

and bricklaying. The versatility and

importance of bricks and brickwork is

underlined by the illustrations of great

feats of engineering alongside

cathedrals, country houses, temples and

mosques.

BDA Members provided James and

Will with sponsorship for the

photography and travel. The book has

met with critical acclaim and the

sponsors are delighted to be associated

with such a successful project.

Michael Driver, director,

Brick Development Association

B U L L E T I N

B R I C KFirst ever world historyof brick is published

JAMES CAMPBELL and Will Pryce’ssumptuous account of the world’s mostmagnificent brick edifices has beenpublished by Thames & Hudson. Brick. AWorld History contains more than 320pages and 600 colour illustrations,detailing some of the most outstandingbrick edifices ever built, from 5000 BC tothe present day.

It has been hailed as the first evercomprehensive study of brick. It combineshistorical account and technical surveys

with a cultural appreciation of brick’s role in history. The book is a result of a research project part-funded by the Brick

Development Association. It took Campbell and Pryce across Europe,Central Asia, the Far East and North America. But UK projects werenot overlooked. Included in the book are the Hanwell Viaduct,Battersea Power Station and Carlton House Terrace.

Photographs from the book formed the basis of an exhibition heldat the end of October at The Prince’s Foundation in London. Thevenue was also used for a special BDA evening, during which JamesCampbell outlined the history behind some of the buildings.

Brick. A World History is available at the special price of £30.00,including postage & packaging, in the UK only. Please telephone01252-541602 quoting Brick Bulletin offer with credit card details, orsend a cheque, payable to Thames & Hudson Ltd, to Sales, 181a HighHolborn, London WC1V 7QX quoting the same reference. The offer issubject to availability and ends in May.

News in briefClassic work on British brickwork reissuedBack by popular demand is Nathaniel Lloyd’s classic work A Historyof English Brickwork, digitally enhanced and recently reprinted byThe Antique Collectors’ Club. Originally published in 1925, theweighty tome has established itself as the standard work on Englishbricks and brickwork. Further details on 01394-389974. A History ofEnglish Brickwork is available for £35.00.

Ceramic testing guide is publishedThe second volume in Whittles Publishing’s Testing in Constructionseries is due out early this year. Testing of Ceramics in Constructionis a guide to the main ceramic elements used in construction andincludes tests on clay bricks, pavers, wall, floor and roof tiles.Techniques for dealing with the performance and condition ofexisting structures are also included. The book is available for£55.00. Call 0870-2402 182 for details.

Black country historyThe men, women and processes that turned Black Country fire clayinto usable refractories are honoured in John Cooksey’s Brickyardsof the Black Country (£9.99 + postage, 124 pages, paperback). Thebook is rich in historical detail, amply illustrated and offers afascinating insight into an extremely durable material. Call 01384-836122 for further details.

CorrectionIn the June 2003 edition of Brick Bulletin, we omitted the picture caption on page 14. The photograph was of the City University Business School, London EC1, designed by BennettsAssociates.

editor George Demetri co-ordinating editor Andy Pearsondesigner Joe Presedo production David Rogersreproduction London Pre-press printed by St Ives plc ISSN 0307-9325

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BRICK A LA MODEHow architects across Europe are

making the most of brick’sversatility and style

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National Sports

Centre, Locarno,

Switzerland

Architect Mario Botta has

used protruding headers to

provide a striking texture

for this building. The 10

elliptical steel trusses

are expressed on the

elevation.

School sports facility,

Berlin

This gymnasium by

Architekten BDA on the

Sredzkistrasse in Berlin is

housed in the green

fibre-cement cube. The

brick section contains

clubrooms and a

caretaker’s apartment.

High School at Mollet

del Valles, near

Barcelona.

A brick wall perforated by a

series of small openings

illuminates a main corridor

at this Catalan high school.

The architects are

Jaume Bach and Gabriel

Mora.

New Bar Library,

Belfast

Robinson & McIlwaine’s

£15m library comprises

offices arranged around a

four-storey atrium and has

contrasting planes of blue

brick and Portland stone on

the exterior. It was

completed last April.

Blok 36 Ijburg,

Amsterdam.

This is a CAD image of a

proposed mixed-use

scheme in the Netherlands.

It comprises apartments

and single family houses,

both social and owner

occupied. It also contains

shops and a public sports

centre. The design is by the

Amsterdam-based practice

Architectenbureau Marlies

Rohmer.

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HERE’S TO YOU,SLOANE ROBINSONRick Mather’s latest addition to 750 years of architecture at OxfordUniversity had to hold its own against one of the most famous brickbuildings in Britain … George Demetri explains how it was done

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OR RICK MATHER ARCHITECTS, THE CHOICEof brick as the cladding material for theaward-winning Sloane Robinson building wasa foregone conclusion. For one thing, it

shares a quadrangle at Keble College Oxford with twoother distinctive brick structures. The first is Mather’sArco building, completed in 1995; the second isarchitect William Butterfield’s 1883 Victorianmasterpiece – the first brick-built college at Oxford.

The two architects exploited brick in different ways.Butterfield was one of the earliest and keenestexponents of polychromatic brickwork. But where heused different coloured bricks to create pattern,banding and diapering of the surface to bring togetherits various masses, Mather has relied on a single,distinctive brick type and colour to achieve the sameunifying effect. No complex patterning, just slim, highly textured, stack-bonded Roman-style bricks thatdraw together the complicated geometry of thearchitecture.

The £6m Sloane Robinson building sits on a steeplysloping site in Keble’s Newman Quad. The building isparallel to Blackhall Road, which forms one side of thequadrangle. The Arco and Butterfield buildings formthe other two sides.

Viewed from the garden, the new building has the airof a Roman temple, thanks to its monumental characterand its arcade of double-storey, fair-faced concretecolumns. Yet this near symmetrical and somewhatstern facade is counterbalanced by the irregularity ofthe building’s ends which rise to pinnacles as theychange direction, their angle determined by theadjacent Arco building.

The building’s 250-seat, flexible, multipurposeauditorium can be entered from the garden terrace. Ithas a dining hall and recital room at the higher streetlevel, and above are six seminar rooms expressed onthe garden elevation by sharp, prismatic oriel windows, like jewels encrusted in brickwork. These have been designed to maximise views of theButterfield and Arco buildings. The top two floorshouse 20 study bedrooms with simple rectangularopenings located under two asymmetrical, zinc-covered barrel vault roofs.

At the heart of the building is a hybrid frame, partconcrete and part steel. Insitu concrete was used forthe lower floors in order to satisfy aesthetic, thermaland acoustic criteria. For the two upper floors, steelwas used to facilitate the construction of the zinc-covered barrel vaults.

External walls comprise partially filled brick-and-blockcavity construction where the brickwork is laidpredominantly in stack-bonded soldier courses. Thisattractive and contemporary way of laying bricks isenhanced by the slimness of the brick used – 240 40 102 mm. This has the additional advantageof allowing the building’s curved ends to be formedwithout the faceting that a wider brick would haveentailed. The bricks are handmoulded, therebyimparting a wonderfully rich texture to the building.

The street elevation has a less stately, moredirectional feel. This is partly achieved by thearrangement of the windows, but also by the use ofbrick panels laid in stretcher bond – an appealincreased significantly by the long, thin bricks. Thefacade is enlivened by horizontal bands of linearfenestration at upper-ground and third-floor levels. Tocomplete the picture, a vertical glass slit cuts �


F

Ground-floor plan of the building


published on 24 June last year.) The architects resorted to “special” bricks wherever

needed, such as where soldier bricks were required to“turn” corners. Although such a detail is easilyachieved, it can leave an isolated and vulnerable single brick on the corner. To avoid this, large 140 × 140 × 240 mm corner “blocks” were made,incorporating false joints; these 10 mm recesses weresubsequently pointed-up to give the impression of amortar joint. Other specials used included pistol bricksfor use on angles and lintels, and special plinth bricksextending around the building at sill levels to impartattractive shadow lines and articulate the brickwork.

Choosing the right brick colour was important forplanning consent. The colour used had to harmonisewith Butterfield’s range of sandy-to-purple colours inthe building opposite. However, achieving asympathetic shade required the blending of threedifferent types of brick at the works. Furthermore, the bricklayers were advised by the brick maker to vary the work on site by taking bricks from threedifferent packs. Although none of this provedparticularly difficult, it entailed making the specials in three different brick colours and interspersing them into the work. The resulting uniformity of

� dramatically through the top and sides of thestaircase end, leaving a seemingly precarious four-storey brickwork panel on the end of the building.The necessary stiffening was provided by a slenderconcrete frame concealed within the blockwork of theinner skin.

At every storey, a steel angle bolted back to theconcrete structure supports the brickwork and allowsthe insertion of a horizontal movement joint.Intermediate brickwork between steel angles is securedto the inner block leaf using steel wall ties at 450 mmcentres horizontally and vertically. Vertical movementjoints, which in this case are positioned every 12 m,have been discreetly “lost” in the stack bondedbrickwork, with no cutting of bricks necessary.

Steel reinforcement is a crucial part of stack bonding,as there is no real bond between the bricks themselves.Where window openings are large enough tocompromise the integrity of the masonry working as apanel, structural engineer Dewhurst MacFarlanespecified steel flats to tie the blockwork inner leaf tothe floor slabs. This whole philosophy kept the use ofbed joint reinforcement to a minimum. (For a detailedlook at stack bonding, see “How To Achieve PerfectStack Bonding” on page 14 of Brick Bulletin, which was

Above: A sloping glass

canopy over the main

entrance

Above right: The profiled

steel staircase in the

south-west stair tower


The Sloane Robinson

building with William

Butterfield’s 1883

masterpiece in the

background

colour seen throughout the brickwork is testament to the success of this method.

Low-emissivity double-glazed units are usedthroughout the building, whether for windows or forthe double-storey glazing to the garden elevation. Themain entrance, located adjacent to the auditorium onthe garden side, has an imposing toughened glasscanopy that slopes toward the building. Clamping ofthe glass support fins to the concrete frame isconcealed behind an aluminium-faced backing plate setinto the brickwork. This also conceals a gutter thatruns into a internal rain water pipe.

The building is also noteworthy from a sustainabilitypoint of view. It is the first building in the UK with ageothermal system, which uses a heat exchanger in thebasement to connect plastic pipes buried in the pileswith similar pipes cast into the concrete slabs. Thesepipes, which are filled with antifreeze, transfer groundheat from the 20 m deep piles to the concrete slabs. Insummer, the system is reversed, and the piles act asheat sinks. This means that the building’s concretesoffits – apart from those in students’ bedrooms – actas radiators in winter, and become chilled ceilings insummer. And there is another advantage: theelectricity requirement of the system is about one-third

less than that used by conventional air-based systems.Since its completion in October 2002, the Sloane

Robinson building has formed a stylish addition to theOxford skyline. Taking the top category in the 2003Brick Awards was a major achievement, but there ismore to come. Commenting recently on the building,Keble College bursar Roger Boden said that RickMather Architects had given the college “amazingspaces – huge shafts of light, glorious views, intriguingcorridors, boldness and restraint”. He also paid tributeto the invention and generosity of spirit that pervadedthe entire building. Such laudatory remarks are alwayswelcome, but when coming from a client, they aremusic to an architect’s ears. For as everybody knows,there’s nothing like a satisfied customer.

Project teamClient Keble College, University of OxfordArchitect Rick Mather ArchitectsQS Stockings & ClarkeMain contractor Benfield & LoxleyStructural engineer Dewhurst MacFarlane & PartnersEnvironmental engineers Atelier 10Brickwork contractor Benfield & LoxleyAcoustic consultant Sandy Brown Associates

Section through first-floor window bay

Reinforced

concrete

floor slab

supported on

steel edge beam

Stainless-steel

support angle

Proprietary cavity closer

Stack-bonded

soldier bricks

Composite insulated panel

Pistol brick

Window

Sill brick

Wall tie

Rigid insulation

BEST OF THE RESTA round-up of the buildings that just missed out in the Brick Awards

IN PICTURES

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Burton Waters in Lincoln

was a runner-up for the

private housing award

The Quad House,

Twickenham. Runner up,

Best single house

City University Business

School in London. Runner

up for best public building

Hostel, St Paul’s Place,

Bournemouth. Runner up,

best public housing award

Fairview Homes,

runner up best volume

housebuilder. The image

shows Gallion’s Point in

Woolwich, east London

No 4 Brindlyplace,

Birmingham. Runner up

best commercial building

Myrton Bridge,

Boroughdale, runner up for

best refurbishment prize

Private garden, Hitchen,

Hertfordshire. Runner up,

best landscape

Orchard Edge,

Sittingbourne, Kent. Runner

up for sustainability award

20-32 Baker Street

offices, London. Runner up,

best stuctural use of brick

College House, Shiplake,

Oxfordshire. Runner up,

prefabrication award

Paternoster Square by

Irvine Whitlock, runner up

for bricklayer of the year

The Makkah Mosque in

Leeds. Runner up for the

craftsmanship award

Yasu Library in the

Siga Prefecture, Japan.

Runner up in best export

award

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TECHNICAL

A QUESTION OF Peter Watt explains how to make sense of the European Union’s new


EW CLAY BRICK AND PAVER PRODUCTstandards are being introduced to the UK. Thestandards are all “Euronorms” and will providecommon European Union wide standards for

bricks and pavers to support the development of asingle European market in construction products. In theUK they are being issued as British Standards’ BS ENs.

New clay brick product standardBS EN 771: Part 1: 2003 is the new European claymasonry units product specification, or standard. It will eventually supersede BS 3921: 1985, the existingBritish Standard product specification for clay brick. BS EN 771-1 is an integrated harmonised standard thatcovers all types of European clay masonry unit and isalso fully supported by European test methods. Thestandard is based on performance rather than beingprescriptive, so it expands the opportunities for claybrick development and use. A harmonised Europeanstandard is one against which CE-marking can beapplied to conforming products.

The method of defining brick product characteristics,such as compressive strength, freeze–thaw resistance,soluble salts content and size tolerance, remains withinBS EN 771-1, but often in revised format with differentdefining brick characteristics and properties to thosedesignations given in BS 3921. Traders, specifiers andusers of clay brick will need to familiarise themselveswith these revised descriptions.

To assist in familiarisation, a UK “National Annex” isbeing published with BS EN 771-1 that provides a linkbetween the new standard and BS 3921. The NationalAnnex gives useful continuity information.

As part of this process of change, BS 6649: 1985, thespecification for modular dimension clay bricks, is alsobeing superseded by BS EN 771-1.

Other brick product standardsProduct specifications provide an integrated link withrelated standards and user codes of practice. For thisreason linked British Standards, which are not Europeanproduced, are being amended to technically align withBS EN 771-1. BS 4729 for brick “specials” has been fullyrevised and a new 2004 edition is to be published. BS 4729: 2004 is fully compatible for use with BS EN 771-1.

A completely new British Standards InstitutionPublicly Available Specification, PAS 70: 2003, has beenpublished to support the use of BS EN 771-1 for claybrick. This gives relevant site user guidance for claybrickwork appearance reference panels and also for on-

site verification of clay brick size and tolerancedetermination. PAS 70 is again compatible with BS EN 771-1.

As a priority issue BS 5628 for the use of masonry isbeing amended to align with European productstandards. This process will not be completed until late2004 or 2005 because of the nature of the changesthat have to be made to the BS 5628 suite.

New clay paver product standardA new European clay paver specification with testmethods has also been recently published. This is BS EN 1344: 2002 and it is replacing BS 6677: Part 1:1986. BS EN 1344 is a performance based harmonisedstandard covering clay paver units and includesassociated test methods. Calcium silicate pavers are nolonger covered by this European standard. BS EN 1344is published with a UK National Annex to give continuityguidance in the changeover from the old to the newstandard.

Timescale to changeBS EN 771-1: 2003, BS 4729: 2004 and PAS 70: 2003are all being published as a “package” of compatibleand workable clay brick product standards. They can beused for specification commencing from theirpublication date.

The withdrawal of BS 3921: 1985, BS 6649: 1985 andBS 4729: 1990 will not be immediate and a period ofuser transition (a co-existence period) from old to newis occurring. The existing standards, such as BS 3921,are not expected to be withdrawn until late in 2004 oreven until 2005. During this transition, either BS 3921(linked to its related standards’ package), or BS EN 771-1(linked to its related standards’ package) can be used atthe brick maker’s discretion to describe productcharacteristics. Traders and users need to be aware asto what clay brick standard (and therefore whichrelated standards’ package) is being quoted byindividual brick manufacturers. This situation arises mainly as a result of EU-determinedtransition rules.

For clay pavers a similar transitional timescale for BS EN 1344: 2002 and BS 6677: Part 1 exists, althoughthe timescale is not the same as that for clay brick. BS 6677: Part 1 has been notified to be withdrawn on 31 December 2003 with BS EN 1344 continuing in usethereafter.

After respective withdrawal of BS 3921 and BS 6677:Part 1, existing brick and paver products already in themarket place and conforming to these standards can �

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STANDARDS technical standards for clay bricks and pavers


SUMMARY OF STANARDS’ PACKAGES AND TIMETABLE FOR BS EN CLAY BRICK AND PAVER IMPLEMENTATION IN THE UK

New clay brick BS EN+BSstandards

BS EN 771-1: 2003 – Specification for ClayMasonry Units (with UK National Forewordand Annex).

Published 2003.

BS 4729: 2004 British Standard Specificationfor Recommendations for Dimensions ofBricks (Including Those of Special Shape)(Supports BS EN 771-1).

To be published early 2004.

BSI PAS 70: 2003 HD Clay Bricks – Guide toAppearance and Site Measured Dimensionsand Tolerance

New BSI publication to support BS EN 771-1and related Standards.

Published 2003.

BS EN 1344: 2002 Clay Pavers-Requirementsand Test Methods (with UK National Forewordand Annex).

Calcium Silicate pavers no longer covered byStandard.

Published 2002.

Transition/timetablecommentary

BS 3921, BS 6649 and BS EN 771-1 to runconcurrently until the end of 2004 or 2005.BS 3921 and BS 6649 to be withdrawn atthe end of 2004 or during 2005.

CE marking to BS EN 771-1, possibly during2004.

Voluntary marking (e.g. BSI Kite Mark) to BSEN 771-1 possible from about time of BS ENpublication date.

BS 4729: 1990 and BS 4729: 2004 to runconcurrently until end of 2004 or 2005.BS 4729: 1990 to be withdrawn at aboutsame time as BS 3921 is withdrawn.

CE marking and voluntary marking as forBS EN 771-1.

PAS 70 applies to BS EN 771-1: 2003 and related product specifications(ie special shape and size clay bricks to BS 4729: 2004).

BS 6677: Part 1 and BS EN 1344 ranconcurrently until end December 2003. BS6677: Part 1 withdrawn at the end ofDecember 2003.

CE marking to BS EN 1344 possible fromJanuary 2003.

Voluntary marking (e.g. BSI Kite Mark) to BS EN 1344 possible from April 2003.

Existing clay brick BSstandards

BS 3921: 1985 British Standard Specification for ClayBricks.

BS 6649: 1985British Standard Specification for Clay &Calcium Silicate Modular Bricks.

BS 4729: 1990 British StandardSpecification for Dimensions of Bricks ofSpecial Shapes and Sizes (Supports BS 3921 and BS 6649).

BS 3921: 1985 Appendix F for Appearance.

BS 6677: Part 1: 1986 Clay and CalciumSilicate Pavers for Flexible Pavements –Part 1 Specification for Pavers.


� continue to be traded until stocks are depleted. Suchproducts will be considered fit-for-purpose by tradingstandards authorities.

Product markingAs a part of the EU single market in constructionproducts, CE-marking is being introduced for productsmade to an appropriate European harmonised technicalspecification. CE-marking is intended to denoteconformity with the relevant European standard.

In the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Finland thegovernments of these countries have decided not tomake CE-marking a legal requirement when product is traded to a European standard (e.g. BS EN 771-1 and BS EN 1344). Where CE-marking is optionally used, it is usually the manufacturers’ responsibility toapply it, although intermediary traders can in somecases apply the mark for re-branding purposes.Declarations need to accompany the mark for pertinentproduct properties and characteristics to the relevantEuropean standard.

In the UK, the use of CE-marking is likely to have agradual uptake that will not be uniform acrossconstruction product sectors, nor necessarily across allmanufacturers in any one product sector. The non-useof the mark does not affect a product’s fitness-for-purpose for UK domestic use. The new European claybrick and paver standards can be met, with or withoutthe associated use of the CE-mark. If the manufactureropts to use the CE-mark, the appropriate declarationshave to be given.

CE-marking of clay brick products to BS EN 771-1 willprobably become possible this year. For clay pavers toBS EN 1344 it has been possible for manufacturers toCE-mark product from January 2003.

Other voluntary manufacturer applied marks, such asBSI Kite Mark, may also continue to be used at theoption of the individual clay products’ manufacturer.Kite Mark schemes to support product traded to BS EN 771-1 and to BS EN 1344 are now available tomanufacturers.

Implications for changeClay brick and paver products made and traded withinthe UK are not expected to change as a result ofEuropean standardisation implementation. Such

products will remain broadly the same as now, but withgreater scope for future development potential.

What will change are the product specificationstandards themselves with the accompanying changes to defining properties and characteristics.Amendments to related standards and to user codes of practice will take these technical changes intoaccount providing a broadly similar pattern of product use to the existing situation. The changeshould therefore be seen as an “evolutionary” and nota “revolutionary” process for clay constructionproducts intended for use in masonry and paving.

Related masonry product standardsThese changes are not restricted to clay bricks. Other masonry product types, the specifications formortars for plastering and masonry construction, and standards for ancillary components have also had European standards published. In totality this forms a package of European masonry productstandards.

The BS EN 998- series of standards covers mortars,while the BS EN 845- series covers ancillarycomponents. Ancillary components are items such as wall ties, straps, lintels and prefabricated bed joint reinforcement intended for masonry construction.

GuidanceBDA will be able to offer assistance with regard to thesechanges. A primary source of information is the BDAweb site at www.brick.org.uk. This will be updated toreflect changes. Other information will also bedeveloped.

References to new standardsBBSS EENN 777711:: 22000033 Specification for masonry units – Part: 1 Clay masonry units.BBSS 44772299:: 22000044 Specification for recommendations for dimensions of bricks (including those of specialshape).BBSSII PPAASS 7700:: 22000033 HD clay bricks – Guide to appearance and site measured dimensions andtolerance. BBSS EENN 11334444:: 22000022 Clay pavers – Requirements and test methods.

CLAY BRICK DURABILITY DESIGNATIONS –BS EN 771-1 VERSUS BS 3921

BS 3921: 1985 BS EN 771-1: 2003

Durability designation Freeze/thaw Active soluble Combined Resistance salts content durability

designation

FL F2 S2 F2/S2

FN F2 S1 F2/S1

ML F1 S2 F1/S2

MN F1 S1 F1/S1

OL F0 S2 F0/S2

ON F0 S1 F0/S1

HERE ARE THOSE, OVER THE PAST DECADE,who may have plotted brick’s demise. Icontend that, much as Mark Twain commentedon the publishing of his obituary in the New

York Times in 1897, “reports of its death have beengreatly exaggerated”. What we have done is torevitalise the process that keeps us all in the industrymoving forward. Yes, we probably were inward lookingand relied over much on traditional practices. But wehave responded in several important ways – not leastthrough the Brick Development Association.

Award winningThe Brick Awards are a fine example. To quote theintroduction to the 2003 Awards: “They reveal brick’sability to satisfy aesthetic, structural, thermal, acoustic,landscape, craft, prefabrication and sustainabilitycriteria.” Ten years ago, brick was not perceived as amaterial which could satisfy all these requirements. Theintroduction goes on to describe the shortlisted entriesin terms of “extraordinary textural and sculpturaleffects” … “fun” … “humour” and “versatility”. How canbrick be moribund when architects continue to achievethese effects?

Skill fullAnother moan of the doom and gloom brigade hasbeen about the so-called shortage of skilled bricklayersrequired to fulfil the demands of housebuilding. This issupposed to lead to a dumbing down of design, andincrease the use of cement, steel and glass.

The brick industry has countered this in many ways.First, the statistics actually demonstrate that there areplenty of skilled bricklayers, it’s just that some of themmay be “hidden” at any given time. Con Lenan, chiefexecutive of the Association of Brickwork Contractors,recently commented: “Brickies are often multiskilledworkers who get absorbed into other parts of theconstruction or related industries when work is scarce.”

Given the availability of suitably paid contracts, theywill come back.

Second, the brick industry has developed techniquesto make certain skilled tasks quicker and easier. Thisincludes a system to create a wall at any angle required,and bricks which can achieve a convincing “tilehanging” appearance. Building designers and specifiershave, therefore, more scope to create eye-catchingdetails and features than ever before.

Third, industry bodies such as the Association ofBrickwork Contractors and the Better BrickworkAlliance are devising initiatives to improve and promotethe industry’s image to the 13-17 year old group. TheBBA’s “Get a Life with Brick” campaign, for example,aims to alert 13-17 year olds to the attraction, scope andpotential of a bricklaying career.

Green brickBrick is one of the most sustainable building materials,thanks in part to its longevity, which spreads the energyused in manufacture over many decades. But we mustnot dwell for too long on this benefit as there are manyother aspects of sustainability which must beconsidered such as the restoration and management ofbrick quarry sites. These are frequently located in ruralareas and may also be used for landfill. We need towork to nationally applied standards for themanagement and restoration of these facilities.

UpbeatThese are just a few of the measures adopted by thebrick industry in order to meet 21st century standards.Other methods, such as Egan and new buildingtechniques, could also be cited. The fact remains thatthe brick industry has moved forward together toensure that brick is a great product that will remainboth relevant and at the forefront of the constructionindustry for centuries to come.Wayne Sheppard is managing director of Ibstock Brick

COMMENT

A model of modernityThe fact that brick has been around for 12,000 years shows that itwill be here for a long time to come. As Wayne Sheppard explains


T


DIRECTORY The Brick Development Association’s member companies

Baggeridge Brick TT 01902-880555FF [email protected]

Blockleys BrickTT 01952-251933FF [email protected]

Bovingdon BrickworksTT 01442-833176FF [email protected] www.bovingdonbrickworks.co.uk

Broadmoor BrickworksTT 01594-822255FF [email protected]

Bulmer Brick & Tile CoTT 01787-269232FF [email protected]

Carlton BrickTT 01226-711521FF 01226-780417

Charnwood Forest BrickTT 01509-503203Fax: [email protected]

Coleford Brick & Tile TT 01594-822160FF [email protected]

Dunton BrothersTT 01494-772111FF [email protected]

Freshfield LaneBrickworksTT 01825-790350FF [email protected] www.flb.uk.com

Hammill BrickTT 01304-617613FF 01304-611036

Hanson BuildingProducts TT 08705-258258FF [email protected]

Ibstock BrickTT 01530-261999FF 01530-257457www.ibstock.co.uk

Kingscourt BrickTT +353 (0)42-9667317FF +353 (0)42-9667206

Marshalls Clay ProductsTT 01422 306000FF 0113 220 3555www.marshalls.co.uk

Michelmersh Brick & Tile TT 01794 368506FF 01794 [email protected]

Normanton Brick CoTT 01924 892142/01924 895863FF 01924 223455

Northcot BrickTT 01386 700551FF 01386 [email protected]

Ormonde BrickTT +353 (0)56 41323FF +353 (0)56 41314

Phoenix Brick CompanyTT 01246 233223FF 01246 230777www.bricksfromphoenix.co.ukenquries@bricksfromphoenix.co.uk

Wm C ReadeTT 01728 452982FF 01728 454957wcreade. [email protected]

Tarmac Wilnecote BrickTT 01827-280050FF [email protected]

Tyrone BrickTT 02887-723421FF 02887-727193www.tyrone-brick.com

The York HandmadeBrick CoTT 01347-838881FF 01347-838885 [email protected]

The Brick DevelopmentAssociationTT 01344-885651FF [email protected]

The Ark citadel in Bukhara: An eloquent testimony to the staying power of the humble brick

F YOU’VE EVER TRAVELLED THESilk Road, the caravan route thatconnected China and Europe, youmay have come across this

magnificent brick monument in Uzbekistan. Itis known as the Ark, and it has served formore than a thousand years as the fortifiedcitadel of the Emirs of Bukhara, who ruledtheir subjects with an iron fist. NumerousBritish spies were executed outside its wallsduring the late 19th century, when Bukharawas an independent emirate and the subjectof intense Anglo-Russian rivalry.

It was destroyed in 1220 but subsequentlyrebuilt, only to be ravaged by fire in the1920s. That it still stands is testimony to theenduring qualities of brick. This picture wastaken by Will Pryce, and it is one of more than600 in Brick. A World History, written byJames Campbell and published by Thames & Hudson. It has 320 pages ofextraordinary photography and diagrams,covering 5000 BC to the present. See pagethree for more details.

The contents of this publication are intended for general guidance only and any person intending to use these contents for the purpose of design, construction or repair of brickwork or any related project should firstconsult a professional adviser. The Brick Development Association, its servants, and any persons who contributed to or who are in any way connected with this publication accept no liability arising from negligence orotherwise howsoever caused for any injury or damage to any person or property or as a result of any use or reliance on any method, product, instruction, idea or other contents of this publication.

IBukhara’s brick-built Ark

bb january 2004

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