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Class A Staffordshire Brown Brindle BricksSTAFFORDSHIRE BROWN BRINDLE

'Class A' facing brick

Staffordshire brown brindle bricks are unique to Ketley and provide an alternative to blue as a feature Brick.  They have been used for canal side works and bridge parapets and are equally attractive in larger commercial projects.

They have a natural beauty and a surface quality which makes their colour appear to change in different weather conditions. 

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Case Studies

Croxley Green Business Park

Croxley 3  Croxley 1

Architects Esa Architecture wanted to use a light weight construction system for the building where possible, that could be built quickly and efficiently.  Their design also incorporated some textured brickwork which would require a solid brick with Class A characteristics while perforated bricks would be the most efficient material for the areas of plain brickwork beneath the textured sections  Ketley was the only manfacturer able to offer a solid brick, a perforated brick and an extruded brick slip all with an exact colour match.  Full details 

New Swift Tower at Walthamstow Wetlands

Case study Walthamstow Wetlands 1Case study Walthamstow Wetlands 2

These Wetlands, one of Europe's largest urban wetland nature reserves, are a  unique site in East London;   A collaborative project between Thames Water, LB Waltham Forest and London Wildlife Trust, it has set out to conserve the rich hidden heritage here and at the same time allow free public access to this unique landscape, formally Walthamstow Reservoirs..  A striking new 24m high “swift tower”, designed by Witherford Watson Mann architects, uses Ketley Brown Brindle Class A facing bricks on the listed Victorian Engine House, replacing the old chimney which was demolished in the 50’s.  It contains 54 specially installed bespoke clay swift boxes to encourage the nesting of urban swifts, providing them with multistorey accomodation  for their summer breeding in the UK.    Sustainability and ecology lie at the heart of this project, and Ketley’s bricks, brick specials, and quarry tiles (as well as Dreadnought roof tiles) were all carefully selected by the architects to  preserve this exceptional industrial heritage.   Ketley also hand crafted the bespoke clay swift boxes.  Full details

Caryl Churchill Theatre, University of London

Royal-Holloway-casestudy3Royal-Holloway-casestudy1

Designed by Foster Wilson Architects, this 178 seat theatre is built alongside the Grade II listed Sutherland House, the Theatre and Drama department building for University of London.  Shortlisted in the Brick Awards 2013, this new apsidal building is constructed in Staffordshire brown brindle facing bricks to achieve a high level of acoustic isolation due to its proximity to a main road and Heathrow flight path.  The richly coloured bricks are laid in a protruding pattern around the large windows and were chosen by the architect for their smooth, almost glazed, surface texture which enhances the design.  The theatre has been shortlisted for an RIBA Award 2014 and was a finalist at the Brick Awards Best Public Building

Stamford Hill, North London

Stamford HillStamford Hill 1

This mixed use scheme uses Ketley Brown Brindle facing bricks for the walls of this contemporary building and matching Blue Brindle clay tiles from Dreadnought for the roof. The use of colour matching building materials enable the roof to seamlessly transition into the brickwork of the walls.  Project architects Stockwool explains "The choice of high quality wall and roof materials and their clear specification within the planning documents did much to convince the London Borough of Hackney’s Planning Department that a contemporary building would be appropriate in this location.”  Full details

2 Houses in Kingscross

2 new build houses 12 new build houses Kings Cross

This new development of 2 houses in Kingscross was designed by Emily Greeves Architects and uses Ketley Brown Brindle bricks with moulded concrete panels under the windows.  The small, previously industrial site is very close to the big redevelopment site at Kingscross and the architects wanted to give this project stature by using a tough industrial brick.  They liked the range of colours in the Ketley Brown Brindle Class A which has shades of browns and purples and can look almost metallic in some lights and the new building commands its own authority despite having been restricted heightwise by planners.  Thank you to the photographer Emanuelis Stasiatis.

Bridport House, Hackney

Bridport-House casestudy 2Bridport-House

Winner of Mayor’s Housing Design award for Community ­ This is an 8 storey residential tower designed by Karakusevic Carson and built for the London Borough of Hackney as part of the regeneration of the Colville Estate. With its deep, cantilevered balconies, high-quality brick and floor-to-ceiling windows, it is hard to believe that Bridport House is a local authority housing block.  Stefan Mannewitz, the project architect chose to use Ketley bricks for their natural beauty and their “surface quality which makes their colour change in different weather conditions.  They take on a more reflective appearance in the dry sunny weather and appear darker in wet conditions.”


JCoSS School

Jcoss-School-Casestudy 1Jcoss-School-Casestudy 2

RHWL Architects selected Ketley Brown Brindle as a warm and earthy dark brown brick to contrast with Jerusalem Stone and other building materials used to construct this state-of-the art school.   A Brown Brindle brick plinth, originally conceived to address different levels across the site, wrapped around the outside of the building providing a “unifying” theme to the rich palette of materials that were used.

Environmental

Place of Manufacture: Brierley Hill, UK
Environmental Management: 14001     Download Certificate
Quality Management : 9001                     Download Certificate 

Download the Ketley Quality and Environmental Policy

Life Cycle: BRE Global Certification in accordance with  EN 15804:2012  Download Certificate
Energy: Cured in gas fired kilns to 1130C
Raw materials: Etruria Marl Clay from our local quarry in Brierley Hill, sand
Lifespan:  Ketley's bricks are the toughest and most durable bricks you can buy.
Recyclability: Can be crushed and used as aggregate and/or as an inert bulk fill
Packaging: We keep packaging to a minimum using wooden pallets and we do not shrink wrap our brick packs.

Find out more about Ketley's approach to sustainability

Click for the Brick Development Association infographic on Sustainability of Brick 

See below the latest video about Sustainability of Brick from the Brick Development Association

Technical Specification

Staffordshire Brown Brindle Brick Specification Sheet

Standard: BS EN 771-1: 2011

Ketley Staffordshire Brown Brindle Bricks are produced at our works located in the heart of the Black Country.  Ketley Bricks have been made from our own Etruria Marl since Victorian times.  They are recognised as a Class A engineering brick of high quality with a strong aesthetic appeal.

Download Specification sheet as pdf.

Download Specification clause as a word doc

Download water absorption and compressive strength test report

Download textured brickwork freeze thaw test report

Type: 

Facing Brick Class A Solid

Facing Brick Class A Perforated

Colour:

Staffordshire Brown Brindle

Staffordshire Brown Brindle

Structure:

Solid

Perforated
≤ 25% void with a mean of 19%

Texture:

Smooth

Smooth

Manufacture:

Extruded, wirecut

Extruded, wirecut

Dimensions:

215 x 102.5 x 65mm

215 x 102.5 x 65mm

 

215 x 102.5 x 73mm

215 x 102.5 x 73mm

 

Complies with dimensions and tolerances of BS EN 771-1: 2011

Complies with dimensions and tolerances of BS EN 771-1: 2011

Weight 65mm:

3.3kgs per brick
3.3 Tonnes per 1,000

2.45kgs per brick
2.45 Tonnes per 1,000

Weight 73mm:

3.8kgs per brick
3.8 Tonnes per 1,000

3kgs per brick
3 Tonnes per 1,000

No. per m2 65 mm (10mm joints):

60

60

No. per m2 73 mm (10mm joints):

53

53

Pack Size:

400

400

Packing: 

Banded for fork lift off-loading.

Banded for fork lift off-loading.

Weight per pack 65mm:

1320kg

980kg

Weight per pack 73mm:

1435kg

1200kg

Special Bricks

A complete range of Special Shapes to BS 4729 2005 is available.  We also undertake the manufacture of 'non-standard' specials to customers' specification as required.

A complete range of Special Shapes to BS 4729 2005 is available.  We also undertake the manufacture of 'non-standard' specials to
customers' specification as required.  (Note: some specials are only manufactured solid).

 

 

 

Compressive strength: 

≥ 125N/mm²

≥ 125N/mm²

Category:

II

II

Masonry Unit Group:

HD

HD

Engineering Grade:

A

A

Water absorption: 

≤4.5%

≤4.5%

Initial Rate of Water absorption: 

≤1.5Kg/m²/min

≤1.5Kg/m²/min

Thermal Conductivity: 

On Application

On Application

Bond Strength: 

0.15N/mm² (For general purpose and lightweight mortar)

0.15N/mm² (For general purpose and lightweight mortar)

Net Dry Density: 

2200 Kg/m³(Typically)

2200 Kg/m³(Typically)

Density Tolerance:

D1

D1

Soluble salt content: 

S2

S2

Durability: 

F2

F2

Fire Reaction: 

A1

A1

Dimensional Tolerance Mean:

T2

T2

Dimensional Tolerance Range:

R1

R1

 

Special Shaped Bricks

Special Shaped Bricks

view the gallery

studio-shot-special-bricks1 250x263Because Special Shaped bricks are generally used in situations of severe exposure such as copings and cills, powerful resistance to water penetration and high durability has always been essential.

Ketley Bricks are generally solid and have stood the ultimate test, the test of time.  In the early part of the 20th Century their blue colour was regarded as the stamp of durability, nowadays their performance under crushing tests, water absorption and abrasion tests is evidence of this. 

The use of Ketley Specials to add a high quality finish to brickwork ensures extra durability and protection to vulnerable areas and will save time on-site by overcoming extensive hand cutting.

Download Special Shaped Brick Brochure

or browse our special shaped brick range online

Consistent natural colours

bluespecials1 250x164Our unique plant produces traditional natural Staffordshire clay colours for both the Paver and Brick ranges in Blue, Brown Brindle and Red.  Because our bricks, pavers and specials are fired together, our colours are consistent through the range.

Ketley Brick manufactures a wide range of special shaped bricks for a multitude of applications. 

Ketley will also manufacture specials from drawings supplied, allowing you to explore imaginative design options and decorative detail, confident that Ketley will be able to acurately match  requirements.  

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Bricks Sample Request Form

Please complete this form to let us know which samples you would like.  Due to the high courier cost in sending them out, we cannot supply them free of charge in all cases.

I'd like to receive the following brochures
Choose Samples. Unsure which brick size you want? 65mm are the standard UK size for buildings today, and 73mm bricks are used mainly for renovations