Brick vs. Plastic TPU

Compare Brick vs. Plastic TPU strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Mechanical	Brick	Plastic TPU
Yield strength	none (brittle)	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	modulus of rupture5.1MPa1	23.7MPa2
Compressive strength	77.9MPa3	not sourced
Flexural strength	not sourced	4.1MPa2
Elongation at break	none (brittle)	not sourced
Young's modulus (stiffness)	not sourced	0.067GPa2
Density	2,082kg/m³4	1,220kg/m³21.71x lighter
Strength to weight	2.45kN·m/kg	19.4kN·m/kg7.93x higher
Stiffness to weight	not sourced	0.0549MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	not sourced	not sourced
Shear modulus	not sourced	not sourced
Bulk modulus	not sourced	not sourced
Speed of sound	not sourced	234m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Brick	Plastic TPU
Thermal conductivity	0.92–1.12W/m·K4	not sourced
Thermal expansion	7.2µm/m·K3	not sourced
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	36µm growth	not sourced
Specific heat	837J/kg·K5	not sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	0.585mm²/s	not sourced
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	not sourced
Melting point	not sourced	217°C2
Max service temperature	not sourced	HDT 0.455 MPa50.3°C2

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser	Open in LessCAD	Open in LessCAD

Sources5 documents: National Institute of Standards and Technology, UltiMaker, Brick Industry Association

Brick: 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
Plastic TPU: Ultimaker TPU 95A, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS (file v5.00), April 29, 2022.

1
Strength of Masonry Walls Under Compressive and Transverse Loads (Building Science Series 34)National Institute of Standards and Technologyarchived copyBrick · Ultimate tensile strength: modulus of rupture (no direct tensile value)
2
Ultimaker TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet, v5.00UltiMakerarchived copyPlastic TPU · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, stress at breakPlastic TPU · Flexural strength: typicalPlastic TPU · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalPlastic TPU · Density: typicalPlastic TPU · Melting point: typicalPlastic TPU · Max service temperature: HDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens)
3
Technical Notes 3A: Brick Masonry Material PropertiesBrick Industry AssociationBrick · Compressive strength: mean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa)Brick · Thermal expansion: TMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry
4
Technical Notes 4: Introduction to Energy Performance of Brick Masonry (2016)Brick Industry Associationarchived copyBrick · Density: face brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3)Brick · Thermal conductivity: range for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA)
5
Technical Notes 4B: Energy Code Compliance of Brick Masonry WallsBrick Industry Associationarchived copyBrick · Specific heat: value used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation

Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.

Plastic TPU is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.

Questions

Mechanical

Is Brick stronger than Plastic TPU?

Plastic TPU is stronger: its tensile strength is 23.7 MPa against 5.1 MPa for Brick (4.65x).

Which is lighter, Brick or Plastic TPU?

Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.

Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Plastic TPU?

For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic TPU is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.

Part that must be	Brick	Plastic TPU
Strong rod or tie	7.93x heavier	lighter
Strong beam	4.75x heavier	lighter
Strong panel or plate	3.68x 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).