Book 3, Question 63
Why Do Walls Use Bricks?
A brick is a small baked block. Stacked with staggered joints and sticky mortar, many little blocks become one strong wall. Let's see how a brick wall happens!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 3
More fun facts
- Bricks in a wall are stuck together with a paste called mortar, which works like glue.
- The way bricks are stacked and arranged to make a wall strong is called bonding.
- In a running bond, bricks are laid in layers so the joints overlap instead of lining up.
- Because the bricks interlock, tapping one brick does not knock the wall down.
- Builders also strengthen structures with buttresses, like those on castles, and with triangles, like those on bridges.
- Some brick walls are solid all the way through, some have a hollow gap inside, and some are just a thin brick skin over another wall.
Sources: BBC, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
Why are bricks laid in a staggered pattern?
When the joints overlap, the bricks lock together and share the load, which makes the wall much stronger.