Hot-blast main for hot-blast stove system of a blast furnace

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A hot-blast main for a hot-blast stove system of a blast furnace has a refractory structure comprising a plurality of courses of refractory bricks. At least a first one of the courses has at least one part thereof comprised of a plurality of expansion-joint forming bricks whose dimensions and arrangement are such that, in the cold condition of the hot blast main, there are provided radial expansion joints between the expansion-joint forming bricks and at least one adjacent part of the hot-blast main. At least some of the expansion-joint forming bricks of the first course are placed radially staggered relative to at least one adjacent such brick in each case so that the, expansion joints are …