Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Steel
Compare Brick vs. Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | 385MPasourcetypical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey), as reported by AISC |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 505MPasourcetypical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey) |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 200GPasourcedesign value (AISC 360-16) |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 7,850kg/m³sourcenominal (constructional data) |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 49kN·m/kg20x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 25.5MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (AISC 360-16 Commentary) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 76.9GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 5,048m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 48W/m·Ksourcenominal at 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 12µm/m·Ksourcenominal (constructional data, no temperature range stated) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth1.67x less | 60µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 460–480J/kg·Ksourcebase material: EN S275JR unalloyed structural steel (the EN counterpart of A36), typical, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | 13mm²/s22.2x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,390W/m |
| Values for | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry | Generic structural steel, cited as ASTM A992 (the current US structural grade): ASTM A992 W-shapes; Fy/Fu specified minimums from AISC publications (AISC 360-16 Commentary; Modern Steel Construction); elastic constants AISC 360; physical constants from the bauforumstahl structural-steel EPD, which names A992 among covered product standards. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Is Brick stronger than Steel?
Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 385 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (75.5x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Steel?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 7,850 kg/m³ for Steel.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Steel is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 20x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 4.74x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.3x heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Brick or Steel?
Steel conducts heat better: 48 W/m·K against 1.02 W/m·K for Brick.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 12 µm/m·K for Steel.