Bricks and Rocket Stoves Made From Clay, Dung and Straw
[caption id="attachment_24263" align="alignright" width="480"] This is a six-brick "rocket" stove before being plastered with clay. Image USAID[/caption] In relatively prosperous lands, buildings are constructed of such materials as concrete, steel, and wood. In many lands, however, such materials are out of reach. Less expensive materials must be used, especially for housing. Brick masonry is a logical choice. In the arts, dung may be added to clay without the straw in the manufacture of pottery. What’s the chemical background of this technique? Bricks: Early Origins Baked bricks were used even in early Bible accounts. Genesis 11:3 quotes individuals crossing the valley plain of Shinar: “And they began to say, each one to the other: “Come on! Let us make bricks and bake them with a burning process.” So brick served as…