Ten rules energy efficient cost effective brick firing
Practical Action
10 Replacing primary fuel with free or cheap waste reduces costs
If free, 'waste' materials can be used instead of some part of the expensive primary fuel, this
saves money. Agricultural residues, which might be used to partially replace fuel, include rice
husk, sawdust, straw, maize cobs, and animal dung. Industrial wastes such as coal dust,
boiler waste or pulverised fly ash often retain a high calorific value and are cheap.
Brickmakers should check what is available.
Summary
For small-scale brickmakers perhaps the easiest step to improve efficiency and save money is
to make sure bricks are dry going to the kiln. Then it's possible, without too great an
investment, to work on kiln control: following a good firing regime and controlling air flow.
Increasing insulation, particularly of clamps which can be scoved with a thicker layer of mud,
offers a potential saving without a big cash outlay. Substitution of wastes for part of the
primary fuel, and incorporating some fine fuel into the body of bricks can be done on a small,
experimental scale to minimise the cost of any failures. Keeping good records costs only a
little time and effort.
A radical way to save all the energy used to fire bricks is not to fire them at all! Where fuel is
very scarce or very expensive, unfired, sun-baked bricks can be used for many applications
provided good architectural design protects them from rain, floods, ground and splash water.
The same is true of rammed earth construction. Stabilising soil with cement, lime or bitumen
is another option.
References and further reading
Assessing the Technical Problems of Brick Production a Guide for Brickmakers and
Field-Workers, Practical Action Technical Brief,
How to Measure the Energy Used to Fire Clay Bricks: A Practical Guide for
Brickmakers, Field-workers and Researchers Practical Action Technical Brief,
Ten Rules for energy Efficient cost Effective Brick Firing, Practical Action Technical
Brief,
Moulding of Clay GTZ Technical Brief, Gerhard Merschmeyer, 2001,
Brick Clamps GTZ Technical Brief, Tim Jones, 1995,
Bull’s Trench Brick Kiln GTZ Technical Brief, Henrik Norsker, 1995,
Hoffmann Kilns GTZ Technical Brief, Tim Jones, 1995,
The Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln GTZ Technical Brief, Tim Jones, 1997,
Bibliography on using waste in fired-clay brickmaking Otto Ruskulis, GTZ
2000
Drying of Clay Bricks and Tiles Gerhard Merschmeyer, GTZ, Technical Brief 2000
Firing of Clay Brick and Tiles , Gerhard Merschmeyer, GTZ Technical Brief 2000,
Preparation of clay for Brickmaking, Gerhard Merschmeyer, 1999,
The Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln: A problematic introduction into Pakistan, by Tim
Jones, GTZ Technical Brief, 1997,
Small and Medium Scale Brick and Tile Production in Ghana, GTZ Technical Briefs,
by Dr. A A Hammond, 1997, (part 1), (part 2), (part 3).
Igloo Type Brick Kilns in Zimbabwe, GTZ Technical Brief, by Peter Tawodzera,
Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln – Technology Transfer – Indian Experience, GTZ Technical
Brief, 1998, K. R. Lakshmikantan, (No. 1 part 1), (No. 1 part 2), (No. 2)
Utilization of Cow-Dung in Brickmaking, Mohammed Majzoub, GTZ Technical Brief,
Practical Action Sudan, 1999,
Utilization of Bagasse in Brickmaking Mohammed Majzoub GTZ Technical Brief,
Practical Action Sudan, 1999,
Utilization of Agricultural Wastes in Brick Production – 1, Firing of Clay Bricks and
Tiles with Rice Husks in Periodically Built Clamps in Tanzania, GTZ Technical Brief,
by Gerhard Merschmeyer, 2004,
Utilization of Agricultural Wastes in Brick Production – 2, Firing of Clay Bricks and
Tiles with Coffee Husks in Permanent Built Kilns in Uganda, GTZ Technical Brief,
Gerhard Merschmeyer, 2004,
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