Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1333960
73 Mechanical and electrical systems Building construction principles Brick is manufactured from clay that is hardened by kiln fi ring. e mineral content of the clay will defi ne the colour of the fi red brick, which may vary from dark brown through red to yellow. Surface texture can be applied to the moulded or cut brick before fi ring. Standard sizes are used for construction, and brick can be used decoratively rather than structurally to clad interior and exterior surfaces. Brick Stone is used in construction and many types are considered a ractive enough to be used for their decorative as well as their practical properties. However, natural stone should be selected carefully as some types (limestone, for example) can be porous (the result of which is that it can stain easily), and can be relatively so , such that they may not be suitable for uses such as fl ooring. When using stone, the suppliers' recommended fi xing methods and a er-care regime should always be followed. e surface can be cut and fi nished in diff erent ways to highlight colour, pa ern and texture. Designers should alert clients to the fact that, as a natural material, installed stone may not match completely any samples which have previously been viewed, as there may be signifi cant variations in pa ern or colour, even from stone quarried at the same time and in the same location. Although relatively li le energy is used to fi nish stone to a usable condition, it is not a sustainable material simply because once quarried, the source cannot be renewed. Indeed, designers are already fi nding that some quarries are exhausted of particular types of stone. Stone In this contemporary take on the traditional deli, new shapes and styles of furnishings and fi ings are married to a use of materials that have been found in similar establishments for decades. e cool, clean feeling of the marble connects past and present and its natural markings provides subtle decorative pa ern. Materials for construction