Investigating compressive strength of building blocks for varying content of marble dust and rice husk

Abstract

An investigation was performed using soil compacted masonry bricks that have been manufactured by combining marble dust particles (MDP) and rice husk (RH). Marble dust is a byproduct of the manufacturing of marble rocks. Additionally, a little amount of rice husk (RH), a fibrous substance which is also a bio-waste material obtained from rice processing mills, was utilized to make the masonry bricks. Typically, the trash employed in this research harm the environment and generates recycling issues. Unlike red bricks and cement bricks, which necessitate pre-treatment and additional water requirement, marble powder stabilized masonry blocks require merely solar drying, resulting in less carbon emissions and water conservation. Attributed to the prevalence of calcium in the MDP, increasing the MDP percentage in the blocks leads in an enhancement in compression strength. Additionally, it boosts the block's dry density, as MDP could not intake moisture and may readily plug the gaps left by the soil and rice husk. Rice husk percentage was modulated between 0.5 and 1.0 percent, and 2.0 percent, and MDP concentration was adjusted between 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, and 40 % in conjunction with the soil. The findings indicated that MDP at 30 % and RH at 1.0 percent significantly improved the compression characteristics of the masonry blocks.