Sugarcane pulp sand and paper grain sand as partial fine aggregate replacement in environment-friendly concrete bricks

Abstract

The addition of sugarcane pulp sand (SCPS) and paper grain sand (PGS) to concrete bricks was proven effective in this study. This research not only investigated the engineering of incorporating SCPS and PGS into concrete bricks to build lightweight bricks but also examined the possibility of substituting fine aggregates with agricultural and industrial wastes to safely dispose of or recycle wastes. Concrete bricks were subjected to multiple tests, such as scanning electron microscopy, to evaluate their compressive strength, flexural strength, bulk density, apparent porosity, water absorption, unit weight, and microstructure. The primary objective of this research was to determine the optimal blend of crushed SCPS and PGS to replace fine aggregates. In accordance with the current study, compressive strength was increased when the ideal mixing ratio of fine aggregate substitution with ground SCPS and PGS was achieved. Fine aggregate replacement ratios from up to 10 %, 20 %, 30 % and 40 % waste products. In addition to the use of wastes, replacing fine aggregates with agricultural and industrial wastes. Compared with the control sample, the bricks with SCPS + PGS-10 % demonstrated significantly better mechanical characteristics after 28 days, with compressive strength increasing by 8.52 % and flexural strength increasing by 18.43 %. Microstructure research validated the effectiveness of SCPS + PGS in improving brick strength and unit weight. In addition to production, generic nonstructural light bricks reduce overall carbon emission, agricultural and industrial wastes and required construction materials, solving environmental pollution problems caused by construction waste in the future.