View of autoclave at sand/lime brick works, Knowehead.

Description View of autoclave at sand/lime brick works, Knowehead.

Date 27/8/1980

Collection Records of the Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Sco

Catalogue Number SC 751489

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 9496/8

Scope and Content Autoclave with load, Ballochmyle Brick Works, Knowehead Quarry, Dumfries & Galloway Ballochmyle Brick Works was founded by Mr Patterson in 1935 at Knowehead Quarry, Locharbriggs, 3.2km north-east of Dumfries. Knowehead Quarry produced high quality red sandstone and the brick works used waste from the quarry to make sand/lime bricks. The brick works was closed in 1977. This shows an autoclave with a car-load of bricks. One part lime was mixed with ten parts sandstone waste from the quarry and pressed into bricks. These were loaded into the autoclave where they were steamed under 160 per square inch pressure for seven or eight hours to achieve the desired strength and quality. Sand/lime bricks were used for construction purposes, more popular for their appearance than their weather-resistant qualities. They were first made in Germany in 1894, some ten years before the process came to Britain. Sand/lime bricks were much favoured in Germany, Sweden and the United States. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/751489

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap