Bricks
made by shaping a plastic mass of clay and water, which is then hardened by
drying and firing, are among the oldest and most enduring of mankind’s
building materials. Until comparatively recent times the clay was dug, the
bricks were made and the kilns set or drawn by manual labour with help from
animal power. About 100 years ago, the first effective machines for brick
production appeared, and the trend towards mechanization of clay winning,
making and handling operations has continued at an increasing pace to the
present day.