Abstract
One of the main reasons for the continued increase in the deficit of affordable housing in Nigeria is the high cost of brick made from sand and ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Finding a replacement for cement to assure sustainability is crucial as the raw materials used in making cements which are naturally occurring are depleting. Rice husk was milled and sieved to reduce the size to 0.020 mm. The moisture content of the rice husk was 9.98%, bulk density was 609.61g cm-3 and the ash content was 18.74%. Rice husk was wetted for 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 21 h and mixed with slaked lime at the ratios of 1:1, 3:1, 2:3 and 3:2. The composite was molded in cylindrical and rectangular mold using mechanical and hydraulic press. The compressive strength (CS) (N/mm2) was tested at ages of 7, 14 and 21 days. The results show higher compressive strength in 1:1 as the bricks ages and also greater strength when wetted for 15 h. For 15 h wetting, 1:1 had CS (N/mm2) of 2.59, 6.07 and 11.23. If well optimized, rice husk can be an excellent material for brick production thereby presenting a good alternative to OPC. Key words: Hollow bricks, dense bricks, rice husk, compressive strength, molds.
Highlights
It is common knowledge that the demand for affordable housing grows at a faster pace than its supply in practically all countries of the world
According to Alitheia (2012), the national housing deficit rose from 7 million units in 1991 to between 12 and 15 million units in 2008; and currently stands at 17 million units (Adegboye, 2012)
The sample is cylindrical and the mould was made of steel ASTM C 470 and conducted in accordance with ASTM C 31
Summary
It is common knowledge that the demand for affordable housing grows at a faster pace than its supply in practically all countries of the world. The use of a whole rice husk in bricks production could be one of the alternatives to the burning process and the most cost effective way. The Nigerian government has embarked on an ambitious plan to make the country self-sufficient in rice production by 2015 under its current Agricultural Transformation Agenda, or ATA (Adesina, 2012) This initiative is in response to the perceived threat of larger volumes of milled rice imports into Nigeria since the 1990s, potentially displacing local production. Because of the high cost of transporting agricultural residues to be processed into bricks, it is likely that industries will have to be built in rural areas, near the farms that supply the residues This will boost local economies by providing jobs, services, and a higher tax base. This is a renewable resource unlike materials for ordinary Portland cement
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
