Read & Research

BIA has published documents that have helped architects, designers, builders and homeowners for decades. And since the U.S. Census Bureau stopped publishing production and shipment information on the brick industry, BIA doubtlessly has the most authoritative market information on clay brick construction. If you have a question about brick, chances are we can answer it in this section.

Technical Notes on Brick Construction

Architects, designers, engineers and of course members of the brick industry have depended on BIA’s Technical Notes since we first published the series in 1950. Each one of these documents is written so that the user will meet – and frequently exceed – the stipulations outlined in their building code. This series is what BIA is best known for, and it is updated on a regular basis.

technotes

Industry Reports

Our members depend on this information for strategic planning and forecasting, the Federal Reserve uses it for it's own statistics, and the U.S. Congress and federal agencies rely on our information for related matters. Because of the significance this information holds, most of it is only available to BIA members.

Brick Industry Data System (BIDS)

 
Issued monthly, the BIDS reports are the most current information available about brick production and shipments, shipments from plant locations, destination shipments, ending inventory and the dollar value of shipments.
 
 

Annual Brick Industry Report

 
First published in 1986, this report is by far the most detailed analysis of brick anywhere. It is based on comprehensive surveys sent annually to brick manufacturers and distributors nationwide, and it goes into production, shipments, plant capacity, end usage patterns and much more. The report is compiled by a third-party market research firm on behalf of the industry, and it is not available to non-members.

Annual Brick Industry Report


 

Brick per Permit

Because brick is sold locally and brick usage varies widely depending on location, BIA developed a monthly brick per permit that helps measure brick shipments as compared to housing activity. In other words, this report measures brick intensity. BIA members have been able to use this information since it was first published in 2014.

Market Share Reports

Market share reports can provide manufacturer members the ability to generate a report that can tell them their company's calculated market share percentage, how far ahead their company is compared to the company directly behind them, and how far behind their company is compared to the company directly ahead of them. These reports are reserved exclusively for BIA National manufacturer members that report all required BIDS information online each month.

Brick in Architecture

Starting with our Brick and Tile publication that focused on Camp Lejeune in the early 1940s, the Brick In Architecture insert has been published regularly for over 70 years and is now inserted in the official publication of AIA, Architect magazine.  
brickandtile

Builder Notes

buildnotesBuilder Notes are short technical discussions on specific topics relating to the construction of residential brick masonry. Geared towards builders and construction managers, the Builder Notes are designed in an easy-to-use format to help educate readers about proper brick construction.

Brick Briefs

brickbrielsBrick Briefs are short discussions on specific topics related primarily to the design, construction and maintenance of residential brick masonry. These are written in a format that is friendlier to non-technical users than the technical notes.
 

Consumer Product Sheets

consumerprodWhy is brick such a good investment that provides so much more than other materials? Read the fact sheets in the link below that compare genuine clay brick to a variety of other cladding materials including concrete masonry, EIFS, fiber cement, manufactured stone and vinyl to learn more.


DIY Guides & Ideas

diyguideBrick is a solid material that offers flexibility in design. These projects are great for professionals in the brick industry as well as for the "weekend warrior."

National Brick Research Center

nbrc

A Component of Clemson University, the Center is an industrially funded organization providing research, education and service to producers and users of clay bricks and other ceramic materials (tile, mortar and ceramics). A major element of the brick industry, the Center seeks to augment the educational process of the University students and be an important contributor to the University’s mission in research and public service.


 

GoBrick Blog

This brick-exclusive blog is a forum for individuals to weigh in on a variety of issues within the clay brick industry. It provides ideas and observations on the latest news, views and trends. It is designed to promote constructive discussion and debate of all things brick!

Bookstore

principlesEven though BIA offers many valuable materials online on a complimentary basis, there are some items in our bookstore that people in the industry find valuable. Whether it is a binder that includes all of our Technical Notes on Brick Construction, or the time-honored publication entitled, "Principles of Brick Masonry," you can get it here.