Criteria for salvageability: the reuse of bricks

Inventorying Toronto’s single detached housing stocks to examine the availability of clay brick for urban mining

“…In fact, aged brick can have a natural weathered aesthetic that is considered beautiful or unique by some (Falk and Guy, 2007;Gregory et al, 2004). Second, brick is modular which facilitates flexibility in the form, function, and structure of its secondary use (Norby et al, 2009). Third, brick is composed of few raw ingredients and requires no surface treatment, which allows for easier reuse than composite materials that are vulnerable to the failure of each material constituent (Norby et al, 2009).…”

“…The properties of lime-based mortar facilitate deconstruction of whole bricks, whereas cement mortar has a much stronger chemical bond that makes separation significantly more difficult and timely. So much so that the literature suggests that brick attached with cement mortar is generally not considered reclaimable for reuse (Falk and Guy, 2007;Norby et al, 2009).…”

“…Brick has a number of physical characteristics that make it an attractive candidate for reuse, as reviewed by Norby et al (2009). First, it is naturally durable, as demonstrated by its presence in Toronto's older SDH.…”

“…Second, brick is modular which facilitates flexibility in the form, function, and structure of its secondary use (Norby et al, 2009). Third, brick is composed of few raw ingredients and requires no surface treatment, which allows for easier reuse than composite materials that are vulnerable to the failure of each material constituent (Norby et al, 2009). Finally, reclaiming and reusing brick within Toronto would conserve considerable energy and carbon emissions because it would require less transportation and minimal processing in comparison to virgin brick (Ergun, 2014).…”

“…Although the manufacturing process of brick has remained relatively similar over time in Canada, its mechanical evolution has resulted in significantly more standardized brick quality (Norby et al, 2009). Conversely, literature demonstrates that brick reclaimed from older buildings can be variable in its structural, mechanical, and physical properties (Gregory et al, 2004).…”