# Brick-Making Challenge

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 3, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935 "2005-12-03T19:57:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935/1 "2005-12-03T19:57:47Z")

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How would one go about making a fairly strong brick out of soil, straw and water using a shoebox as a mold?

I can’t use cement or clay.

Your ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935/2 "2005-12-03T20:14:32Z")

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[Adobe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe) , baby adobe.  
Usually this is done with a clay type soil. Does not have to be straight clay, but some clay is good.

> [@](#):
>
> An adobe brick is made of soil mixed with water and an organic material such as straw or animal dung.

If you build your house out of adobe containing animal dung, it would be a shit brick house.  
::: D&R:::

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935/3 "2005-12-03T21:23:20Z")

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> [@Mangosteen](#):
>
> … using a shoebox as a mold

You’ll probably want to stiffen the shoebox with some sort of frame, to prevent it bulging from the weight of the wet material.

> [@](#):
>
> I can’t use cement or clay.

As Rick indicates, this may be a problem. Without some clay content, the mixture won’t cure well. Your shoebox full of dirt may simply turn into a pile of dirt when the box is removed.

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**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935/4 "2005-12-03T21:40:01Z")

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IIRC, in ancient times they used straw, soil, and dung (maybe ashes?) to make bricks.

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**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brick-making-challenge/333935/5 "2005-12-03T21:44:14Z")

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I will take the “Can’t use cement or clay” statement to mean that you can’t go purchase a block of clay and fire it to make your brick. However, if anything you can dig up out of the ground is permitted, choose your dirt carefully. You want a soil with a high clay content. This type of soil clumps easily when moist and dries as a solid lump. Adding gypsum or lime to this soil will produce a harder solid with less shrink-cracking. The purpose of the straw is to serve as a matrix to hold everything together when it dries. It also slows the drying process to minimize shrink cracking.

Google adobe (as **Rick** suggested, baby) or wattle and daub for more info.