Mud brick in the context of "Ancient Egyptian architecture"

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⭐ Core Definition: Mud brick

A mudbrick (or mud-brick), also called an unfired brick, is an air-dried brick composed of a mixture of mud (containing loam, clay, sand, and water) with a binding material, such as rice husks or straw. Mudbricks are known to be used since 9000 BCE.

From around 5000–4000 BCE, mudbricks evolved into fired bricks to increase strength and durability. Nevertheless, in some warm regions with very little timber available to fuel a kiln, mudbricks continued to be in use. Even today, mudbricks are the standard of vernacular architecture in some warmer regions- mainly in parts of Africa and western Asia. In the 20th century, the compressed earth block was developed using high pressure as a cheap and eco-friendly alternative to obtain non-fired bricks with more strength than the simpler air-dried mudbricks.

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👉 Mud brick in the context of Ancient Egyptian architecture

Spanning over three thousand years, ancient Egypt was not one stable civilization but in constant change and upheaval, commonly split into periods by historians. Likewise, ancient Egyptian architecture is not one style, but a set of styles differing over time but with some commonalities.

The best known example of ancient Egyptian architecture are the Egyptian pyramids and Sphinx, while excavated temples, palaces, tombs, and fortresses have also been studied. Most buildings were built of locally available mud brick and limestone by paid laborers and craftsmen. Monumental buildings were built using the post and lintel method of construction. Many buildings were aligned astronomically. Columns were typically adorned with capitals decorated to resemble plants important to Egyptian civilization, such as the papyrus plant.

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Mud brick in the context of Compressed earth block

A compressed earth block (CEB), also known as a pressed earth block or a compressed soil block, is a building material made primarily from an appropriate mix of fairly dry inorganic subsoil, non-expansive clay, sand, and aggregate. Forming compressed earth blocks requires dampening, mechanically pressing at high pressure, and then drying the resulting material. If the blocks are stabilized with a chemical binder such as Portland cement they are called compressed stabilized earth block (CSEB) or stabilized earth block (SEB). Typically, around 3,000 psi (21 MPa) of pressure is applied in compression, and the original material volume is reduced by about half.

Creating CEBs differs from rammed earth in that the latter uses a larger formwork into which earth is poured and manually tamped down, creating larger forms such as a whole wall or more at one time, rather than building blocks. CEBs differ from mud bricks in that the latter are not compressed, but solidify through chemical changes that take place as they air dry. The compression strength of properly made CEB usually exceeds that of typical mud brick. Building standards have been developed for CEB.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Ancient Egyptian architecture ← Compressed earth block
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Jordan Valley (Middle East) → West Bank → Palestine (region) → Elam → Ziggurat → Choqa Zanbil → Iran → Brick → Composite material → Mud → Loam → Clay → Sand → Water → Binder (material) → Rice → Straw → Brick → Timber → Kiln → Vernacular architecture → Africa → Asia → Compressed earth block →