mudbrick

Mudbrick is a brick formed from a mixture of earth (soil containing clay, silt, and sand), water, and a binder such as straw or other fibers, formed in molds and sun-dried. It is typically not fired in a kiln, unlike fired clay bricks. In many regions the term adobe is used for mudbrick.

Manufacturing involves excavating soils, sieving, and mixing them with water and fiber, then placing the mixture into molds and compacting before drying in the sun. Drying can take days to weeks, and bricks are often stacked for continued air drying after removal from molds. In historic construction, mudbricks were coated with lime or clay plaster to protect them from weather and to improve durability.

Mudbrick has been used for millennia in arid and semi-arid regions, including Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, Nubia, Egypt, and Mesoamerica. It remains common in traditional architecture and is employed in modern sustainable buildings when combined with protective plasters, proper rainwater management, and appropriate detailing to extend life.

Properties and considerations include good thermal mass and low embodied energy, contributing to energy efficiency in hot climates. However, mudbrick is vulnerable to moisture, erosion, and weathering, and its structural strength is generally lower than fired bricks. Durability depends on wall thickness, the quality of plaster or render, drainage, and maintenance. In seismic regions, reinforcement and careful detailing are important to improve performance.

See also: adobe, rammed earth, earthen plaster.