Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Steel AISI 1045
Compare Brick vs. Steel AISI 1045 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) | 531MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 627MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 12%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 210GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 7,800kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 68.1kN·m/kg27.8x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 26.9MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 80.8GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 175GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 5,189m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 40–45W/m·Ksourcetypical range, ambient |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 12µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-300 °C |
| 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·Ksourcetypical range, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | 11.6mm²/s19.8x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 6,269W/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 | AISI 1045 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle) for mechanical; Ovako C45 (lists 'SAE 1045' as a similar designation) for physical constants |
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 AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stronger: its yield strength is 531 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (104x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Steel AISI 1045?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 7,800 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1045.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Steel AISI 1045?
For the same stiffness or strength: Steel AISI 1045 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Steel AISI 1045 |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 27.8x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 5.91x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.72x 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 AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 conducts heat better: 42.5 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 AISI 1045.