Class B Engineering Brick Smooth Red Solid 65mm

Please note that Class B engineering bricks may feature perforations that vary in number and pattern. These variations do not affect the structural integrity or performance of the bricks and are within manufacturing tolerances.

Engineering bricks are typically used underground for foundations, as damp-proof courses or in wet environments. If you're after an aesthetic brick please check out our range of facing bricks. 

What Is Class B Engineering Brick Smooth Red Solid 65mm? 

Red Solid 65mm Class B Engineering Bricks are high-performance clay bricks engineered for robust, load-bearing construction, such as foundations and structural walls. Unlike standard "facing bricks" where appearance is the main focus, engineering bricks are chosen specifically for their technical capabilities - primarily their strength and resistance to water and frost. 

They are manufactured using specific clay materials and fired at high temperatures to create a very dense, strong, and less porous brick that meets the specific requirements of the British Standard BS EN 771-1 for a Class B engineering brick. They are usually solid (without holes or 'frogs').

These high-density clay bricks provide exceptional compressive strength (≥ 75 N/mm²), extremely low water absorption (≤ 7%), and outstanding durability (F2 rated for severe frost exposure). 

Their smooth red finish and solid configuration make them a reliable and widely specified choice for structural brickwork, damp-proof courses (DPCs), retaining walls, foundations,

Applications

• Below Ground Level Brickwork: Foundations, footings, manholes, inspection chambers, basement walls where strength and water/frost resistance are critical.
• Damp Proof Courses (DPCs): Two courses of engineering bricks with appropriate mortar can form an effective DPC barrier against rising damp. Their low porosity is key.
• Retaining Walls: Providing the necessary strength and durability to withstand lateral earth pressures and ground moisture.
• Load-Bearing Brickwork: Constructing walls or piers designed to carry significant vertical loads from floors, roofs, or other structural elements.
• Civil Engineering Projects: Used in the construction of bridges (abutments, piers), tunnels, sewers, and culverts due to their strength and resistance to aggressive conditions.
• Freestanding Walls & Cappings: Suitable for garden walls, boundary walls, and as durable cappings on walls where high exposure necessitates robust materials.

Benefits

• High Compressive Strength: With strength exceeding 75 N/mm², these bricks are suitable for significant load-bearing structural applications.   
• Exceptional Water Resistance: The very low water absorption rate (≤ 7%) makes them highly resistant to saturation, crucial for durability below DPC, in retaining walls, and for acting as an effective engineering brick DPC layer.   
• Severe Frost Resistance (F2 Rated): Independently tested and rated F2, ensuring long-term durability in environments exposed to repeated freezing and thawing cycles while wet – essential for UK conditions.   
• Low Risk of Efflorescence (S2 Rated): Low active soluble salt content minimises the likelihood of unsightly white powdery deposits appearing on the brick face.
• Maximum Density & Strength: The solid configuration (no holes) provides the greatest possible density and load-bearing area per brick.
• Proven Long-Term Durability: Concrete offers inherent resistance to fire, moisture damage, rot, and insect attack, unlike timber alternatives.
• Smooth, Uniform Finish: Provides a neat and consistent appearance where visible, although performance dictates selection.
• Reliable & Widely Specified: A trusted material choice for decades in demanding structural and civil engineering projects across the UK.

Class B vs Class A Engineering Bricks

Contrary to popular belief that Class A engineering bricks are always blue and Class B are invariably red, the contemporary market presents a different reality. 

You can now find Class A red engineering bricks and Class B blue engineering bricks, broadening the available colour choices.

Class B and Class A Differences:

• Strength: Class A bricks offer substantially higher resistance to crushing forces compared to Class B. This makes them necessary only in situations involving extremely high structural loads.
• Water Absorption: Class A bricks are significantly less porous than Class B. This lower absorption provides greater resistance to water penetration and saturation, making them preferable in environments with constant wetness, high risk of chemical attack (like sulfates in soil), or the most severe freeze/thaw conditions.
• Application Suitability: For the vast majority of UK construction projects requiring engineering bricks - including domestic foundations, damp proof courses, standard retaining walls, and general load-bearing structures where conditions are not exceptionally aggressive - Class B engineering bricks provide fully compliant and sufficient performance. They offer an excellent balance of strength, durability, water resistance, and cost-effectiveness. Class A is typically specified only when project calculations or extreme environmental factors explicitly demand its superior properties.