Week 1 - Brick as Image

Type of brick and temperature baked
In modern contexts, the type of brick used is most likely wire cut bricks in which are made by extruding or forcing clay into rectangular shapes. They have up to 10 holes that can be seen from above. These holes help conserve clay which reduces cost and weight.
The surface of the brick is also quite rough, and judging from the vibrant clean surface, the brick is very new, hence the wall is very unlikely to be composed of dry or wet pressed bricks.
Brick firing temperature ranges roughly around 1000°C to 1300°C. As the temperature rises, the colour starts from a white to yellow, then a series of red hues. This red hue then turns purple and dark brown or grey at approximately 1300°C. Judging from the bright orange brick colour, the clay masonry brick was fired at around 1000-1100°C.

Brick Texture
The Brick surface comprises of a "velour" brick texture, this is evidently seen through its consistency in colour and tightly grained texture. The brick also has straight edge characteristics.

Brick Size
The bricks of the wall are of standard face brick size, 76mm high x 230mm long x 110mm wide.

Type of Bond
This wall is composed with a colonial bond, and can be identified though its pattern in which comprises of full, half and quarter bricks.

Mortar
This wall uses "flush" joints, it provides a flatter look and be rightens the wall by minimising the amount of shadow. The brick is located in China Town which is located just over 1Km of a Darling Harbour, hence the Australian standards require a mortar specification of atleast M3. M3 mortar consists of the following proportions of portland cement, hydrated lime and sand, 1:1:6.




Type of Brick/Temperature baked
This was a wall of a building located near Broadway shopping centre. Despite how smooth the brick felt, it could be a result of wind corrosion over a very long period of time. Judging upon how the bricks have chipped, it could have been dry pressed bricks that were used to construct the external walls. This is because dry pressed bricks are not as dense and strong as wet pressed bricks, although they seem rough at first, but under the influences of weather can wear down and smooth out over a very long period of time.
Hints of the buildings old age and the colour of the bricks shows that the clay masonry was fired at a much higher temperature, this dark grey/purple indicates an approximate temperature of around 1300°C.

Brick Texture
The surface texture appears to be similar to those of “Slurried” bricks. The bricks exhibit a permanent kiln fired subtle pigment texture.

Brick Size
The bricks of the wall are of standard face brick size, 76mm high x 230mm long x 110mm wide.

Type of Bond
Once again this is another example of the colonial brick bonding in which comprises of its unique layout of full, half and quarters of bricks.

Mortar Type
The bond is most likely a raked joint, this was the most commonly known joint and used at the time. The characteristic of this joint is where the mortar is recessed from the brick face by 10mm. The wall is located in broadway which is just over a kilometre from black wattle coast. Since black wattle coast is not a suft cost, the mortar has to afree with the australia standards of minimal M3.