bricks

Video: 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards showcase the best of brick design

By Lisa McDonald / March 13, 2024

Since 1989, the Brick Industry Association has sponsored the Brick in Architecture Awards to recognize exceptional uses of clay brick in architecture. The 44 global winners for the 2023 awards include entries spanning the United States, Canada, China, and Mexico, plus the first-ever winner in Russia.

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Effects of expanded graphite content on the performance of magnesia carbon bricks

By Lisa McDonald / July 11, 2023

Magnesia carbon bricks are widely used in steelmaking because of their excellent thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. These bricks can be fabricated using various carbon sources. In a recent paper, researchers at Changwon National University investigated the effects of expanded graphite content on MgO–C bricks.

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Video: 2022 Brick in Architecture Awards expand with new ‘thin brick’ category

By Lisa McDonald / April 19, 2023

Since 1989, the Brick Industry Association has sponsored the Brick in Architecture Awards to recognize exceptional uses of clay brick in architecture. The 45 global winners for the 2022 awards include entries spanning the United States, Australia, Canada, China, and Germany.

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Video: 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards demonstrate brick’s ‘infinite’ design versatility

By Lisa McDonald / March 9, 2022

Since 1989, the Brick Industry Association has sponsored the Brick in Architecture Awards to recognize exceptional uses of clay brick in architecture. The 49 global winners for the 2021 awards include entries spanning the United States, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.

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Video: Senegal initiatives combat heat island effect in Dakar

By Lisa McDonald / May 26, 2021

The heat island effect is a major problem for many big cities, and relying on air conditioning for cooling can be expensive and increase air pollutants. Several initiatives in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, look to combat the heat using environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.

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Video: 2020 Brick in Architecture Awards span the globe

By Lisa McDonald / March 10, 2021

Since 1989, the Brick Industry Association has sponsored the Brick in Architecture Awards to recognize exceptional uses of clay brick in architecture. The 41 global winners for the 2020 awards include entries spanning the United States, Australia, Canada, China, and Germany.

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A real power brick—polymer-coated bricks store energy

By Lisa McDonald / August 14, 2020

Construction and refractory applications are main uses of bricks, but unusual applications show up in academic journals as well. In a recent paper, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis explain how they made ordinary bricks capable of storing energy like a battery.

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Peeking at the past—Bricks used to characterize past presence of radioactive materials

By Lisa McDonald / April 7, 2020

For successful nuclear nonproliferation initiatives, authorities must be able to detect and characterize radioactive sources—but how can they do so if the radioactive material was removed before they arrived? Researchers at North Carolina State University developed a technique that allows retrospective characterization of radioactive sources.

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The many types of bricks

By Lisa McDonald / May 3, 2019

A brick is more than just a small red clay building unit—it could be sand lime, concrete, or fly ash as well. Learn about some of the materials commonly used to create bricks, and find out how bricks could be built to better withstand extreme weather.

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urine bricks

Environmentally friendly bio-bricks: Urine for a surprise

By Faye Oney / November 27, 2018

Researchers have developed a method of creating bio-bricks from human urine. The process also offers by-products of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium that could be used as components in commercial fertilizers.

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