

Adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass, but they are known to be particularly susceptible to earthquake damage if they are not reinforced. In dry climates, adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for some of the oldest existing buildings in the world. The maximum sizes can reach up to 100 pounds (45 kg) above this weight it becomes difficult to move the pieces, and it is preferred to ram the mud in situ, resulting in a different typology known as rammed earth. In some areas a popular size measured 8 by 4 by 12 inches (20 cm × 10 cm × 30 cm) weighing about 25 pounds (11 kg) in other contexts the size is 10 by 4 by 14 inches (25 cm × 10 cm × 36 cm) weighing about 35 pounds (16 kg).

There is no standard size, with substantial variations over the years and in different regions. They can be subsequently assembled, with the application of adobe mud to bond the individual bricks into a structure. Adobe bricks are rectangular prisms small enough that they can quickly air dry individually without cracking.
