Compressed Bricks Research Articles

Comparative analysis of enriched flyash based cement-sand compressed bricks under various curing regimes

This study investigates the substitution of traditional burnt clay bricks (BCB), used since 7000 BCE, with environmentally friendly Fly Ash-Cement and Sand Composite Bricks (FCBs), utilizing industrial waste like Coal Fly Ash (CFA) from thermal power plants. The research encompasses two phases: the first involves experimental production of FCBs, while the second focuses on optimizing FCBs by varying CFA (50%, 60%, 70%), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) content (9%–21%), and incorporating stone dust (SD) and fine sand. Comprehensive tests under normal and steam curing conditions, adhering to ASTM C 67-05 standards, include X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses. Results indicate that steam curing enhances early strength, with an optimized mix (MD: 5S) achieving a compressive strength of 15.57 MPa, flexural strength of 0.67 MPa, water absorption rate of 20.08%, and initial rate of water absorption of 4.64 g/min per 30 in2, devoid of efflorescence. Notably, a 9% OPC and 50% CFA mix (MD: 1S) shows improved early strength of 4.95 MPa at 28 days. However, excessive CFA replacement (70%) with lesser cement content negatively impacts physio-mechanical properties. This research underscores the potential of FCBs as a sustainable and economically viable alternative to BCBs in the construction industry.

Use of SCM in Manufacturing the Compressed Brick Optimizing Embodied Energy and Carbon Emission

Brick is one of the most used building materials in masonry construction. Conventionally burnt clay bricks are used. These bricks are manufactured from clay and burnt in a kiln at a higher temperature. This results in a very high amount of CO2 emission and has high embodied energy, which highly affects the environment. Compressed bricks are one of the sustainable solutions to overcome these issues of high CO2 emission and embodied energy. Adopting sustainable alter- natives, such as compressed bricks incorporating supplementary cementitious materials or envi- ronmentally friendly brick manufacturing processes, can help mitigate these issues and promote more sustainable construction practices. In this study, attempts have been made to manufacture and test the bricks with different proportions of the soil, i.e., the mix of locally available soil with sand, cement as the cementitious materials, and SCMs like fly ash & GGBS. The research methodology involves the formulation of different mixtures with varying proportions of SCMs. The specimens were then prepared using a compression molding technique and cured under controlled conditions. This research paper aims to investigate the effects of incorporating sup- plementary cementitious materials (SCMs) on the properties of compressed bricks. The study focuses on evaluating the density, compressive strength, water absorption, and efflorescence, as well as calculating the embodied energy and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the pro- duction of these bricks. Furthermore, the paper comprehensively analyzes the embodied energy and CO2 emissions associated with producing compressed bricks. These calculations consider the energy consumed and CO2 emitted in manufacturing, including raw material extraction, transportation, and brick fabrication. The study's results demonstrate the influence of SCMs on the properties of the compressed bricks. The analysis of embodied energy and CO2 emissions provided valuable insights into the environmental sustainability of the brick production process.

A sustainable alternative to traditional building materials: assessing stabilised soil blocks for performance and cost in Malawi

ABSTRACT Within Malawi, and across the Global South, the adoption of stabilised soil blocks (SSBs) as a sustainable alternative to burnt clay bricks, has been hindered by the high cost of stabilisers. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of cement as a stabiliser in soil stabilised blocks, and to propose cement ratios which both reduce the material cost while meeting building requirements for local applications. Using a brick production method replicable within a rural African context, we tested a range of cement contents for dry compressive strength, flexural strength, and water absorption properties. Our findings suggest that a cement content of 3.6% is adequate for single-story building applications, four times lower than that currently used in compressed brick production within the study area. Moreover, the elimination of the firing process – which represents half of burnt brick production costs – and the proposed cement ratios correspond to large cost savings, ranging from 20% to 77% depending on building application, for brick producers. These results suggest that the cost of manufacturing stabilised soil blocks can be considerably reduced and thus become financially viable; however further innovation is needed to achieve a sustainable means of production and use.

Life-cycle assessment of compressed bricks using Cameron Highlands reservoir sediment as primary material

Disposal of dredged sediments has recently been linked to environmental and health issues, rather than bringing any economic value to the country. Furthermore, the overexploitation of clay for brick production is destructive to the environment. Hence, it is essential to develop a decisive method to minimize the land and water pollution resulting from improper disposal as well as lessening the consumption of natural resources in the brick production. The key objective of this study is to identify environmental impacts of compressed bricks using Cameron Highlands reservoir sediment to replace clay in the compressed brick. The life cycle assessment is conducted in a cradle-to-gate manner. This study also presents the avoided process of recycled sediments in the life cycle assessment. The damage categories are quantified in terms of human health, ecosystem and resource availability by using ReCiPe Endpoint indicators. According to the results of the life cycle assessment, the compressed sediment brick is favourable from an environmental perspective. In comparison to compressed clay brick, the compressed sediment brick offers promising options for the long-term because it contributes high environmental performance among all the impact and damage categories assessed in this study.

Feasibility study of compressed bricks utilizing rubber glove manufacturing residue

The demand of the rubber glove had increased significantly since early of the year 2020 due to the COVID-19 virus breakout especially in the medical and healthcare sector. Rubber Glove Manufacturing Residue (RGMR) is the by-product from the effluent treatment by coagulation process in the manufacturing procedure. Non-recyclable RGMR are disposed to landfill after treated. This research is aimed to reuse the RGMR in cemented interlocking bricks to address the natural resources depletion issues and greenhouse gases released from the burnt brick production. The comparison in terms of physical and mechanical properties was conducted in between RGMR and crumb rubber interlocking bricks (RIB). RGMR and crumb rubber were used as partial fine aggregate replacement by 10% while fly ash was used as a cement replacement material by 56%. Four mixes were tested, and the interlocking bricks were categorized as medium weight bricks. However, only control mix and RGMR-2 mix fulfilled the loadbearing masonry requirement of a minimum of 13.8 MPa. RGMR-2 utilizing 10% fine aggregate replacement using RGMR without cement replacement. As for the mixes utilizing fly ash and fine aggregate replacement, RGMR-1 mix and RIB mix show compressive strength of 12.15 MPa and 11.64 MPa respectively. Besides that, the use of RGMR reduced the water absorption compared to RIB mix due to the larger particle size of crumb rubber. The water absorption rate for RIB mix has exceeded the limit of water absorption for the medium weight bricks of 240 kg/m3. The finding indicates that the RGMR exhibited a better performance as compared to the crumb rubber.

Value-added waste substitution using slag and rubber aggregates in the sustainable and eco-friendly compressed brick production

The current study aimed to analyse the viability of incorporating the post cryogenic discarded rubber and the air-cooled slag as an aggregate in partial replacement of stone dust in fly ash bricks production. A range of mechanical, non-destructive, and microstructural tests was performed on bricks thus produced by incorporating rubber and slag aggregates in various dosages (i.e., 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% by stone dust weight). The result revealed that the compressive strength dropped from 71 to 43 % in the case of rubber aggregate replacement. Morphology study confirms that the rubber aggregates resulted in the porous microstructure of the bricks and leads to lesser unit weight and lighter structure. The rubber may be used as a lightweight aggregate in the brick possibly as it reduces the density of the final product. However, the use of rubber in bricks needs to be cautiously designed to get hold of productive solutions at the end. The findings demonstrate that the copper slag substitution of up to 15%, found to be enhanced the strength properties and it will be a better choice for low-cost construction as a promising alternative construction material.

Experimental Approach to Soil Research Conforming to Compressed Brick Production for Housing Construction in Chad

Experimental Approach to Soil Research Conforming to Compressed Brick Production for Housing Construction in Chad

Majpadu: Bracing for the Future

Majpadu Bricks Sdn. Bhd. was a Malaysian company incorporated in 1996. Majpadu’s business was in manufacturing and supplying compressed clay bricks, known as dry pressed earth brick (DPEB), a type of bricks manufactured using high-density compression technology. Unlike other bricks that were widely available in the market (also known as ordinary baked bricks), Majpadu’s bricks were not ‘fired’ in kilns; as such, DPEB was claimed to be more eco-friendly, cooler in temperature and yet very durable. Majpadu’s expertise was within the engineering process as well as the technical knowledge of DPEB. Apart from its main business, it also offered consultancy services to the industry. Over the years, Majpadu saw the company face several internal and external circumstances that affected its bottom line. By early 2017, the situation had become more serious, forcing Mr Zaki Hayat, the Managing Director of Majpadu, to implement a strategy to tackle the problems faced by the company.

Experimental Study of Compressed Soil Bricks with Partial Replacement of Soil by Bagasse Ash, Marble Powder and Rice Straw

The problem of pollution is increasing daily due to excessive production and improper disposal of the waste. some waste like ashes and stone powder can be easily utilize in the concrete or with any other construction material like paver block or bricks. To utilize material like marble powder bagasse ash and rice straw effectively the experimental study of Earth compressed bricks is conducted. This paper deals about the mechanical properties of earth compressed bricks which are made up of soil and the add-ons are marble powder, bagasse ash and rice straw fiber with different ratios of combination. This ratios are for marble powder 20%, 30% and 40%. for bagasse ash it is 7% 10% and 13% and for rice straw it is .5%, .75% and 1%. The compression property of bricks is increased when the marble powder is increased with less water absorption in soil because waste marble powder does not absorbs water and due to its fine partical size it fills the voids in the bricks and creates good packing of the bricks. Water is absorbed by Rice Straw and bagasse ash which results in increase of the water absorption capacity of earth compressed bricks.

Sustainable incorporation of lime-bentonite clay composite for production of ecofriendly bricks

The global earth atmosphere is degrading due to the abundant use of fossil fuel for fulfilling the energy demands of rapidly growing economies. The conventional brick manufacturing process contributes its part by consuming energy in its firing process, which causes global warming and cardio-respiratory diseases attributed to increasing concentration of affluent greenhouse gases and hazardous particulate matter. Therefore, the proposed research aims to provide eco-friendly solutions to the stated problems by incorporating locally available powdered lime-bentonite composite in compressed and unfired bricks, whereas properties of fired bricks were examined for comparison purpose. For compressed, unfired and fired bricks, clay was replaced by 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of bentonite content while keeping 5% quick lime constant for each dosage level. Characterization results indicated that the calcium-rich quick lime and silica-rich bentonite being incorporated in clay bricks decreased its average particle size and optimum moisture content values, whereas increased the plasticity of lime-bentonite clay composite. Incorporation of lime-bentonite composite in compressed, unfired bricks yield the increased compressive and flexure strength, whereas reduction in water absorption and unit weight was observed. However, compressed bricks type appeared as the most desired one out of all brick types with the compressive strength value of 10.40 MPa, which satisfied the strength requirement for building code of Pakistan and ASTM specifications C62-13 for building bricks along with negligible weathering. Durability in terms of corrosion resistance of compressed bricks increased from 0.72 to 0.81 with bentonite inclusion. However, thermal conductivity reduced from 0.72 to 0.38 W/m-K comparative to conventional fired brick used in the construction industry, resulting 31.91% reduction in cooling loads and carbon footprints for B20 compressed bricks, which suggests its energy-efficient and ecofriendly nature. Conclusively, lime-bentonite compressed clay bricks provide eco-friendly, energy-efficient and sustainable options for the production of green clay bricks.

The Effect of Moisture Content and Curing on the Properties of the Interlocking Compressed Brick

The moisture content and curing condition affect the compressive strength of the interlocking compressed brick (ICB). Higher strength of ICB can only be achieved when the moisture content is at the optimum level and under proper curing method. However, the moisture content of soil is varied and difficult to be identified. In addition, there is no standard of curing method was established for ICB. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of moisture content and types of curing on the compressive strength and water absorption of the ICB samples. Two (2) different moisture contents were investigated, which are the 11% and 18%. All ICB samples were cured under three (3) different curing conditions and tested for the compressive strength, water absorption and density tests. The findings showed that all ICB samples containing 18% of moisture exceeded the minimum requirement of compressive strength (7 N/mm2) based on MS76:1972. Meanwhile, ICB cured under Curing B condition has shown the highest compressive strength and lower water absorption. This indicates that sufficient moisture and proper curing method can produce good ICB brick for use in the building construction.

Water absorption properties of sawdust lignin stabilised compressed laterite bricks

Lignin is reported to have good binding ability with soil particles especially in roadconstruction, however, its application and behavior in compressed bricks is being investigated. The water absorption property of lateritic bricks is essential to its durability as well as its bonding with cement mortar. This study is focused on the determination of the initial rate of absorption and the 45 min total water absorption of lignin stabilised compressed lateritic bricks.Two particle sizes of laterite namely those passing the 2.36 mm BS sieve and those retained on it were stabilised at 4%, 8% and 12% by mass with sawdust lignin extracted through alkaline hydrolysis. Fourier infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the functional groups present in the lignin additives while the laterite sample was subjected to consistency, physical and mineralogical tests. The tests were carried out in order to determine the likely interaction and mechanism of reactions between the soil particles and the additives. The total water absorption after 45 min of full immersion and the initial rate of absorption after 5 and 60 min were determined at 14 and 28 days of air curing.The wood additives showed an improvement in the water absorption properties of the stabilised bricks compared to that of cement stabilised samples. The percentage water absorbed by cement stabilised samples ranges between 6% and 15% which is considered high while that of the wood additives ranges between 2% and 6%.

Mechanical and thermal characterization of stabilized earth bricks

In Senegal, soil is used in construction with a misunderstanding of the thermal and mechanical properties. The lifespan of building considerably depends of the mechanical properties of construction materials used. The thermal properties of construction materials have considerable influence on the energy performance of the building. This work deals with the determination of thermal and mechanical properties of soil bricks stabilized with cement produced by five handicraft manufacturers. For the mechanical characterization, we determine the compressive strength of bricks using a mechanical press. The thermal characterization is to determine thermal capacity and thermal conductivity of bricks by asymmetrical transient Hot Plate method. The results show that vibrated bricks have a compressive strength of about 1.6 MPa and a thermal conductivity of about 0.8 W.m-1.K-1. The compressed bricks have better compression strength of about 2 MPa and a thermal conductivity of about 0.7 W.m-1.K-1.

English

This research work investigates and evaluates the effects of varying lime composition on the compressive and flexural strength of compressed silicate limestone bricks and compares the results to the local blocks and bricks used in the Kenya market. The mix ratio used to make limestone bricks was binder (cement replaced with hydrated lime powder), sand and water cement in ratio of 1:5:0.4. The results showed that an increase in the lime content results into a decrease in the strength properties of the bricks. Clay brick, natural stone block and concrete blocks were bought in the local market and crushed for comparison. It was observed that the optimum strength performance was obtained at 60% cement replacement with lime which corresponds to 6.08 and 3.05 MPa, respectively for compressive and flexural strength. Key words: Clay brick, natural stone block, silicate limestone compressed bricks, compressive strength and flexural strength.

Prediction of properties of fly ash and cement mixed GBFS compressed bricks

In the present study the artificial neural network is used to predict the properties of fly ash and granulated blast furnace slag mixed compressed bricks. Bricks containing fly ash, different proportion of granulated blast furnace slag with constant quantity of cement are fabricated. The bricks are cured by three ways such as, by sprinkling water, by dipping into the alkaline water, and by immersing into the acidic water for 3, 7 and 28 days respectively. After curing, the bricks are tested to determine its compressive strength, water absorption and pH. The results from the experiments were used for the training of the artificial neural network neurons. Using the trained artificial neural network, the values for the composition 0% to 60% were obtained with 5% increment in every interval. It is observed that as the content of granulated blast furnace slag increases than the fly ash content, the compressive strength increases. With the increase in granulated blast furnace slag content the water absorption reduces and pH increases and hence increases the resistance against acid attack.

Utilization of Iron Ore Tailings in Manufacture of Stabilized Compressed Building Bricks

Utilization of Iron Ore Tailings in Manufacture of Stabilized Compressed Building Bricks

Investigating the Utility of Iron Ore Waste in Preparing Non-fired Bricks

Iron ore waste is a major problem for mine owners due to the difficulty involved in its storage, handling and other environmental related issues. An alternative solution to this is utilisation of iron ore waste (IOW) as some value added product in construction industry. An attempt has been made in this paper in examining the possibility of making non-fired bricks from iron ore waste with some additives like cement and fly-ash. Each of the additives were mixed with IOW in different ratios and different sets of bricks were prepared. The prepared IOW bricks were cured for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days and their respective compressive strength and percentage of water absorption were determined. The results show that IOW bricks prepared with 9% and above cement and with 28 days of curing are suitable for brick making and meet the IS specifications. It was also observed that the weight of the prepared bricks with 9% cement with 28 days of curing varies between 2.35 and 2.45 kg whereas the weight of compressed fire clay bricks varies from 2.80 to 2.89 kg. Results also show that the cost of bricks prepared with cement ranging from 9 to 20% is comparable to that of commercially available compressed bricks.

Study on the Properties of Compressed Bricks Using Cameron Highlands Reservoir Sediment as Primary Material

This research is to investigate the properties of compressed building bricks producedfrom Cameron Highlands reservoir sediment. The particle size distribution of the sediments are graded as silt and sand. The sediments used were as total replacement of the normal soils used in the compressed soil bricks. This paper presents the compilation of experimental brick properties; compressive strength, water absorption, microstructure and heavy metal leachingof the compressed sediment bricks. The experimental results shows that increasing use of reservoir sediments decrease the compressive strength andincrease the water absorption. The heavy metal concentrations of the leachates from the leaching test are all within the regulatory limits. The optimum mix is derives from the compressive strength and the water absorption in which in this research is Mix 4, 70% sedimenta, 20% sedimentb and 10% cement,complying with ASTM C129 – Non Load Bearing Bricks [1].

Compressed Bricks Made of Makabaye and Pitoaré Clay: Implementation and Production

In a strong commitment to economic valorisation that began a decade and relevant contribution to the problems of housing and creation of small jobs response, the Cameroonian government has invested heavily in promoting use of local materials through the creation of MIPROMALO (Mission for Promotion of local Materials) in 1991 (economic crisis), and through the signing of government circular from the Prime Minister, thus placing its development policies in prior to any development strategy more distant prospect. It was then that housing through development of local building materials becomes one of major policy priorities of Cameroonian’s government. However, there is a low valuation thereof despite availability of local materials and political will expressed in Circular No. 002/CAB/PM of 12 March 2007 on the use of local materials in construction of public buildings. In this study, we analyse the contribution that can play promotion of local materials in construction in the Sahel zone which for a harmonious sustainable development. Specifically, it’s to highlight the added value of using local materials, propose strategies for implementation and production of compressed bricks. This scientific work has therefore a double interest, scientific and technological industrial view and contributes to the development, promotion of local materials and the development of soil and/or basement areas. We arrived after analysis of our data to the conclusion that valuation of clay materials from Maroua’s town was a factor for economic growth and sustainable development. This inventory allows us to implement and produce prototypes suitable compressed bricks, shapes of housing in Sahel zone. However, physical and geotechnical tests on materials clay (raw materials for production of bricks), allow us to better assess characteristics of clay before production of bricks. Well after we submit our bricks to various mechanical and technological tests to assess their ability to withstand loads in extreme temperature conditions of Sahel zone.

Potential Use of Cameron Highlands Reservoir Sediment in Compressed Bricks

The objective of this research is to investigate the potential use of Cameron Highland reservoir sediment in compressed brick production. The sediments can be classified as well-graded clayey sandy SILT and well-graded gravely SAND whereby the grain size is comparable to the grain size of sand and silt. The sediment was used as a 100 % replacement for the soils content in conventional soil cement bricks. Besides that, sodium bentonite, mica, fly ash and bottom ash are used as pozzolan to partially replace the cement in the sediment cement bricks. This paper presents the compressive strength of sediment cement brick incorporating sodium bentonite, mica, bottom ash and fly ash as partial replacement of cement. The total replacement of soils by Cameron Highland reservoir sediment (Mix 2) shows significant increase in compressive strength of the bricks compare to the conventional soil cement bricks (Mix 1), while partial replacement of 10 % pozzolan results in optimum strength. On the other hand, 10 % of bottom ash and 10 % of fly ash (Mix 13) as partial replacement of cement achieved the highest compressive strength. This implies that sodium bentonite, mica, fly ash and bottom ash can be used as pozzolan to partial replace the cement.