Can you imagine that an entire house could be built without cement or mortar? In fact, technology has advanced to such an extent that bricks have been developed that can be held together with just water. These are called water-activated interlocking bricks. The specialty of this advanced construction technology is that it completely eliminates the need for sand, cement, and wet mortar used in house construction. It’s worth noting that these materials often account for a significant portion of the total cost of building a house, including sand, cement, etc.
Building a house with smart bricks can be significantly reduced, as one water-activated interlocking brick costs only 8-12 rupees. Furthermore, houses are still being built using these bricks, and their functionality is excellent.
These bricks use mechanical interlocking and water-activated chemical binding technology. These special bricks have a completely different design from ordinary bricks. They are molded in a male-female pattern, allowing them to fit together seamlessly. This provides strength to the building and grip to hold the bricks together.
These bricks are made using special dry-chemical binders, such as reactive polymers or modified hydraulic materials. As such, they are completely different from ordinary bricks in terms of design and material.
These bricks adhere even without cement mortar for the following reasons:
As mentioned earlier, these bricks are prepared according to a special male-female design and are initially set by fitting them into grooves on top of each other without any cement or wet mortar.
As soon as the wall reaches a certain height, it is moistened by sprinkling water.
Upon contact with water, the binding chemicals in the bricks initiate the process of hydration. This reaction causes the bricks to bond together at the molecular level.
To put it simply, bricks contain substances or chemicals that react when wet, joining them together in such a way that they no longer appear as separate bricks, but as a single, solid wall.
Smart bricks are superior to ordinary bricks in the following ways:
Walls built with ordinary bricks require several days of soaking to solidify. However, water-activated bricks become extremely solid and achieve maximum strength as soon as they are exposed to water.
While ordinary bricks bond together with cement and wet mortar, water-activated interlocking bricks fit together precisely because of their unique design. Another major advantage is that they prevent moisture and cracks in the walls.
Compared to ordinary bricks, their interlocking design makes these bricks better able to withstand earthquakes. This significantly reduces the chances of the wall collapsing.