Brick Waste Research Articles

A Comparative Study on the use of Waste Brick and Glass in Cement Mortars and their Effects on Strength Properties

Sustainable development of the construction industry should use recycled materials to the great- est extent to reduce natural hazards due to the increased accumulation of waste and the deple- tion of natural resources. However, engineering applications using waste materials are always expected to perform satisfactorily. In this aspect, detailed and systematically carried out experi- mental studies are critical in selecting the type and the quantities of waste materials that will be recycled through their use within engineering applications. This study provides systematically produced experimental data on compressive and flexural strength performance to quantitatively compare the effects of using different percentages of waste glass and brick aggregates in cement mortars with a specified workability characteristic. Results show that mortar samples with waste glass aggregates perform better under compressive loading since only around 14% strength de- crease compared to the control mix was yielded with the inclusion of waste glass. In contrast, in both cases, a 30% strength decrease was recorded with the inclusion of waste bricks for 100% replacement of natural sand in the mortars. In the case of flexural strength performance, 50% replacements of natural aggregates with waste bricks and glass yielded around 27% and 38% strength decrease, indicating that using waste brick in cement mortars could result in a better flexural strength performance in comparison, provided that its content is controlled. Replace- ment of natural sand in cement mortars with waste brick and glass yielded less significant flex- ural strength, decreasing the difference between the two types of wastes when the replacement ratio was as high as 100%. Hence, based on the presented experimental evidence, it is concluded that the decision on the type and the quantity of the waste materials to be used should be made considering the area of the use of the mortar and its expected service type.

Feasibility study on preparation of fully-waste building blocks using alkali-activated materials to solidify construction and demolition waste residue: Formulation optimization and reaction mechanism

As a by-product of the construction and demolition waste (CDW) classification process, the construction and demolition waste residue (CDWR) faces the problem of having nowhere to be stacked and being unable to be handled. Solidifying CDWR by alkali activation technology to make building blocks not only provides a value-added method for recycling CDWR, but also promotes the sustainable development of rural construction. In this study, a new alkali-activated material (NAAM) was proposed for the solidification of CDWR, and the optimal ratio of NAAM at different curing ages was determined by mixture design, and then the micro-mechanism and macro-properties of CDWR solidified with NAAM were investigated. The results show that the compressive strength of the optimized specimen at 14-day meets the requirement of 10 MPa. After solidifying CDWR with NAAM, the products generated are mainly calcium silicate hydrate gels with different morphologies, accompanied by ettringite and CaCO3. Water content and pH have a significant impact on the compressive strength, and low water content and pH value have a negative impact on the pozzolanic reaction and the generation of products of the specimen. In general, it is feasible to use NAAM mainly composed of waste brick powder proposed in this paper to solidify CDWR. Without using cement and natural aggregates, it still shows good mechanical property and environmental benefits.

Optimization of the Impact of Dune Sand, Recycled Rubber Aggregates, and Clay Brick Waste on Eco-Mortar Mechanical Strength by the Taguchi Method

Utilizing local materials and recycling waste has the potential to yield both ecological and economic advantages in the field of construction materials. In this context, the object of this work is to apply Taguchi's design of experiments on cement eco-mortar, which were designed using an L-9 orthogonal array, to optimize and model the effect of dune sand of the El Oued region, rubber aggregates, and crushed clay brick waste on the mechanical strength at 28 days. The different interactions were also investigated between the factors targeted in our study, namely: dune sand (DS) content, rubber aggregates (RA) content, and brick waste (BW) content. The results of the analysis of variation (ANOVA) as well as the mathematical models developed in this study showed that the BW factor content has a positive effect on compressive strength and a negative effect on flexural strength. In addition, the interactions between DS and BW contents and between RA and BW contents have a negative effect on the compressive strength of eco-mortar. With regard to flexural strength, the results showed that the interaction between the factors DS and RA contents has a negative effect on flexural strength, in contrast to the interaction between the RA and BW contents, which has a positive effect.

Recycling Construction Waste to Synthesize New Composite Materials

The volumes and various types of waste generated in the construction industry were analyzed. The paper outlines the main methods for processing brick waste, as one of the most common construction waste. The article presents the results of experimental studies of the developed compositions of blends based on slaked lime, brick chips, quartz sand, gypsum, diatomite and clay. It was concluded that on the basis of the studied raw materials, it is possible to synthesise composite materials with a strength up to 6.3 MPa with the content of lime and brick crumbs up to 35 and 19 % respectively.

Properties of high calcium fly ash geopolymer incorporating recycled brick waste and borax

Geopolymer has attracted various interests all around the world since its introduction. It is known as a beneficial alternative to cement as it can be produced at room conditions, effectively cutting down CO2 emissions compared to the high temperature calcination process in cement production. Moreover, industrial waste or by-products can be upcycled by incorporating as the precursor in geopolymer production, reducing the environmental burden of waste disposal. High calcium fly ash is emerging as a viable option to produce geopolymer binder material. Recycled brick waste (RBW) on the other hand, may be a good source of aluminosilicate, which is vital to produce geopolymer binder material. However, the incorporation of both materials in the production of geopolymer binder materials has not been well-studied. Hence, this paper presents a study on the properties of geopolymer mortar made with high calcium fly ash incorporating 10 % RBW and borax additive at dosages of 3 % and 6 %. In the fresh state, the geopolymer with 10 % RBW and higher borax dosage had a lower temperature, but all mixes gradually exhibited a similar temperature range between 31.3 °C and 31.9 °C. The geopolymer containing RBW exhibited a 13 % higher compressive strength compared to the RBW-absent counterpart in both mixes with 3 % and 6 % borax while the inclusion of borax from 3 % to 6 % reduced the compressive strength by 22 %. The geopolymer had compressive strengths of about 11.8–15.9 MPa after prolonged exposure to an acidic solution, showing a decreasing trend due to the acid attack on the reaction products. The geopolymer mixes containing 6 % borax exhibited lower strength loss (30.2 % and 28.2 %) compared to those with 3 % borax (40.3 % and 42.3 %) on 800 °C heat resistance while the effect of RBW was negligible. On the other hand, the drying shrinkage of geopolymer did not benefit from the inclusion of either RBW or higher borax dosage. The study provided important insights into the incorporation of these materials in the properties of the geopolymer.

Investigating the Ability of producing Sustainable Blocks using Recycled Waste

The primary objective of this study is to manage price market items in the construction of walls for affordable structures with load-bearing hollow masonry units using the ACI 211.1 blend design with a slump range of 25-50 mm that follows the specification limits of IQS 1077. It was difficult to reach a suitable cement weight to minimum content (economic and environmental goal), so many trail mixtures were cast. A portion (10-20%) of the coarse aggregates was replaced with concrete, tile, and clay-brick waste. Finally, two curing methods were used: immersion under water as normal curing, and water spraying as it is closer to the field conditions. The recommendation in IQS 1077 to increase the curing period from 14 to 28 days was taken into account. The results proved that the compressive strength of the blocks of cured immersion under water increased by 2.63%-0.63% and 5.12%-7.88% for 10% and 20% concrete waste aggregates, decreased by 0,3.84% and 4.22%,6.41% for 10% and 20% tile waste aggregates, and decrease by 5.71%-6.10% and 12.1%-11.4% for 10% and 20% brick waste aggregates, respectively at 14 and 28 days, and beams that were cured by spraying performed a little worse than those immersed under water.

Evaluation of the Stability and Flow of Asphalt Concrete Produced with Waste Brick Tile Powder as a Filler

The utilization of recycled brick tile powder as a replacement for conventional filler in the asphalt concrete mix has been studied in this research. This research evaluates the effectiveness of recycled brick tile powder and determines its optimum replacement level. Using recycled brick tile powder is significant from an environmental standpoint as it is a waste product from construction activities. Sixteen asphalt concrete samples were produced, and eight were soaked for a day. Samples contained 5% Bitumen, 2% to 5% brick tile powder, and conventional stone dust filler. The properties of samples were evaluated using the Marshall test. It was observed that the resistance to stiffness and deformation of asphalt concrete was increased by 99% when the conventional filler was replaced with brick tile powder. The resistance to deformation decreases as the percentage of brick tile powder increases while Marshall stability values increase significantly. At an optimum content of 4% recycled brick tile powder as filler, the Marshall stability is increased by 123%. Based on this investigation, it is established that brick tile powder can be effectively used in asphaltic concrete as a filler. This presents a sustainable solution to waste utilization and pavement performance.

Evaluation of Recycled Brick Waste Aggregates as a Sustainable Substitute in Cement Treated Base

Abstract Recycling industrial waste to obtain secondary raw materials is a key focus of environmental policy and circular economy strategies. One such industrial waste, recycled brick waste (RBW), is characterized by high pollution and low recycling rates. This paper evaluates the effects of graded replacement of various RBW sizes as a substitute for coarse and fine natural aggregate (NA) on the mechanical properties and durability of cement treated base (CTB). The novelty of this study lies in the durability evaluation of four types of CTB, including natural, recycled, and mixed CTB. RBW and NA materials are characterized and compared, and the mechanical properties and durability of CTB with RBW materials are analyzed and compared to CTB with 100% NA. The results show that the mixes containing waste bricks exhibit comparable mechanical characteristics and could be used in layers of pavement foundations. Additionally, the durability of the mixes containing RBW yields better results compared to blends containing NA.

Investigation of the pore structure performance of dune sand mortar with ceramic waste

The use of construction waste in creating concrete and mortar is an important process that not only offers economic benefits but also helps protect the environment by reducing waste in rural and urban areas. This experimental study aims to investigate the effect of adding crushed ceramic waste (CCW) and crushed brick waste (CBW) on the bulk density, workability, compressive and flexural strengths, water absorption and microstructural properties of dune sand mortar. To determine changes in porosity, the study uses the mercury intrusion porosimetry technique to measure porosity and pore size distribution. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses are conducted to examine the microstructure and size of the voids using an electron microscope, and photographs of voids in the mortar matrix are taken. By replacing 15% of the sand with CCW and CBW, the compactness and mechanical strength of the dune sand mortar are enhanced, increasing the dynamic modulus of elasticity by around 29 and 26%, respectively. This is due to the pozzolanic activity of these residues, which mainly occur in the form of medium and small capillaries in all the mortars studied, reducing the diameter of the pores.

Assessment of the mechanical and durability characteristics of bio-mineralized Bacillus subtilis self-healing concrete blended with hydrated lime and brick powder

Cement is the main constituent of the concrete structure. Using rejected brick as pozzolana in replacement of cement reduced the utilization of natural resources, conserved the environment, and controlled waste disposal. Hydrated lime has been utilized as a chemical additive to improve the pozzolanic reaction of finely ground waste brick particles. This research investigates the process of biomineralization to enhance the strength and durability characteristics of bacterial concrete incorporating hydrated lime and brick powder (HBr). In this context, cement was partially replaced with HBr in different proportions 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight. Furthermore, the HBr mixtures were meticulously prepared with and without the incorporation of Bacillus subtilis. Tests for strength and durability were performed at the age of 28 and 56 days of concrete. The self-healing proficiency of the bacterial concrete was evaluated through compressive strength, water permeability, and chloride penetration, while the microstructure analysis was conducted using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that at the age of 56 days, CaCO3 precipitation caused by Bacillus subtilis increases the compressive strength of BHBr10 by 19.07%. The durability properties in terms of chloride ion penetrability and water permeability exhibited substantial improvements of 40.03% and 61.9% respectively. Additionally, the FESEM micrographs along with the EDS analysis corroborated the presence of CaCO3 precipitation crystals.

Incorporation of Steel Fibers to Enhance Performance of Sustainable Concrete Made with Waste Brick Aggregates: Experimental and Regression-Based Approaches

Each year, an enormous amount of construction waste is produced worldwide. The reuse of construction waste in construction works is a sustainable solution. The present research work utilized recycled brick aggregates in the production of concrete. The resulting concrete exhibited substandard splitting tensile, flexural, and compressive properties. Steel fibers were used to improve these substandard properties of recycled brick aggregate concrete. The volume fractions of 1%, 2%, and 3% for steel fibers were mixed in concrete, whereas recycled brick aggregates were obtained from solid fired-clay bricks, hollow fired-clay bricks, and cement–clay interlocking bricks. The compressive strength was enhanced by up to 35.53% and 66.67% for natural and recycled brick aggregate concrete, respectively. Strengthened flexural specimens demonstrated up to 8765.69% increase in the energy dissipation. Specimens strengthened with steel fibers showed substantially improved splitting tensile, flexural, and compressive responses. Separate equations were proposed to predict the peak compressive strength, strain at peak compressive strength, elastic modulus, and post-peak modulus of recycled brick aggregate concrete. The proposed regression equations were utilized in combination with an existing compressive stress–strain model. A close agreement was observed between experimental and predicted compressive stress–strain curves of recycled brick aggregate concrete.

Constructing a Sustainable Roller Compacted Concrete Using Waste Demolished Material as Replacement of Cement: A Review

Roller Compacted Concrete is a type of concrete that is environmentally friendly and more economical than traditional concrete. Roller Compacted Concrete is typically used for heavy-duty and specialist constructions, such as hydraulic structures and pavements, because of its coarse surface. The main difference between RCC and conventional concrete mixtures is that RCC has a more significant proportion of fine aggregates that allow compaction and tight packing. In recent years, it has been estimated that several million tons of waste demolished material (WDM) produced each year are directed to landfills worldwide without being recycled for disposal. This review aimed to study the literature about creating a Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) mix with modified engineering properties with favorable environmental impact, so it was focused on investigating using different proportions of waste (Glass, Brick, and Marble), which are the most waste-demolished materials (WDM) widely in the world, as a partial substitute of cement. Then, study the influence on the durability and mechanical strength of (RCC) produced with and without these waste powders.

Utilization of Waste Bricks as a Cement Substitution Material in Concrete Mixture

Concrete is the main material in building construction. The use of Portland cement as a binder in concrete mixes causes high concrete production costs. Apart from that, cement production also produces high CO2 emissions. Therefore, this research aims to utilize brick waste discarded from the brick industry as a partial substitute for cement in the concrete mixture. The brick powder is sieved to 80 mesh size and then used to replace cement with variations of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% based on the weight of the cement. The compressive strength of the concrete was tested at 7, 14 and 28 days. Test results show that the use of brick waste up to 10% can increase the compressive strength of concrete. At 15% and 20% substitution, there was a decrease in the compressive strength of the concrete due to incomplete pozzolanic reaction. So it is concluded that brick waste can be used as a substitute for cement up to 10% in the concrete mixture without reducing its compressive strength. This research can provide solutions for environmentally friendly waste utilization and reduce the use of cement in concrete mixtures.

Mitigating Scour at Bridge Abutments: An Experimental Investigation of Waste Material as an Eco-Friendly Solution

Scouring around bridge abutments is a crucial and complex process that sometimes may lead to the failure of the bridge abutment. Therefore, in the present research, scouring around bridge abutments under clear water conditions was examined without and with countermeasures for providing an economical solution. A total of forty-five experiments were performed under clear water conditions to find the maximum scour depth around the bridge abutment. Experiments were performed in two different phases. In the first phase, scour depth was investigated without any countermeasures. In the second phase, scour depth was investigated using marble and brick waste as a countermeasure. The results showed that the maximum scour depth around the bridge abutment (at a distance of 10 cm on the upstream side and 15 cm on the downstream side of the abutment) for the Froude’s number of 0.22 was 0.137 m without any countermeasure. The scouring depth increased up to 40% with an increase in the Froude’s number from 0.13 to 0.22. The maximum reduction of scour depth was observed to be 40% and 55% when brick and marble waste were used as a countermeasure, respectively, compared to without a countermeasure case. It was concluded that marble and brick waste not only reduced scour depth to a significant level but also provided an economical solution.

Cleaner, sustainable, and safer: Green potential of alkali-activated materials in current building industry, radiological good practice, and a few tips

Alkali-activated materials were prepared from four typical precursors (coal fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag, metakaolin, and brick waste powder) characterized for granulometry, elemental composition, and microstructure. High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry was used to determine the activity concentration of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) in all the materials to assess their radiological impact. All the investigated materials have been found to comply with the European dosimetric index (I) according to Directive 2013/59/Euratom. The results suggest the need for an accurate check of radioactivity throughout the mixing phases to prevent I exceedances. The productive chains were also evaluated by principal component analysis.

Study on the Use of Coal Bottom Ash as a Raw Material Replacement for the Production of Clay Bricks

Context: Masonry bricks are one of the most widely used building materials in the world, which leads to the overexploitation of its raw materials. Its production consumes a large amount of energy and has a large environmental footprint. The clay brick industry can add residues to its raw materials; among those reported are tea processing waste, brick waste, paper industry residues, waste from coffee mills, and coal ashes. Method: Bottom coal ashes were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, electronic microscopy, and particle size analysis. In addition, their density and loss on ignition were determined. The incorporation of ashes in the elaboration of clay bricks was evaluated, with sand replacement percentages of 0, 3, 5, and 7%. Finally, the physical and mechanical properties of the bricks were evaluated. Results: The water absorption and apparent porosity increased, while the compressive strength and bulk density decreased with the incorporation of ash in the brick samples, except for those with a 3% replacement, which showed a better performance in the evaluated properties. Conclusions: Coal bottom ashes have great potential in the manufacturing of clay bricks. The findings of this study indicate that, by incorporating up to 3% ashes, bricks can be obtained which comply with the Colombian regulations.

Selection of eco-friendly alternative brick for sustainable development; A study on Technical, Economic, Environmental and Social feasibility

The pursuit of sustainable development has become increasingly important in addressing the challenges of environmental degradation and resource depletion. The construction industry accounts for significant global resource consumption and pollution. The study aims to investigate the selection of alternative bricks for sustainable development. Social, Economic, Environmental and Technical feasibility was studied to identify the best alternative brick. Five different bricks, i.e., Fired clay brick (FCB), Fly ash cement brick (FACB), Fly ash geopolymer brick (FAGB), Recycled concrete waste geopolymer brick (RCWB) and recycled brick waste geopolymer brick (RBWB), were developed and their technical and environmental impacts were studied. A life cycle analysis (LCA) of one brick was carried out, and seven impacts were studied and reported in this paper. Multi-criteria decision-making methodology (MCDM) was used to select the best brick. In addition, the microstructural properties of recycled geopolymer brick were investigated to study the morphology and mineralogy of the brick’s mixes. Sustainability Index (SI) indicates that fired bricks contribute a higher environmental impact per compressive strength in comparison with alternative bricks. According to the Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP), RBWB is the preferred choice with an overall weight of 0.22, followed by fly ash cement brick (0.217). The mineral resource scarcity (MRS) of 82–87 % can be reduced if alternative recycling waste materials were used in production of brick.

Acoustic emission characteristics of recycled brick-concrete aggregate concrete under freeze-thaw-load coupling action and damage constitutive model

Replacing natural aggregate with construction waste to prepare concrete is an effective way of its resource utilization, which is in line with China 's " carbon peaking and carbon neutrality " strategy and the green development needs of the construction industry. Due to the existing technology is difficult to completely separate waste bricks and waste concrete, this paper mixes recycled brick aggregate and recycled concrete aggregate in a ratio of 1:1 into a mixture, and replaces the natural aggregate with a replacement rate of 30% to prepare Recycled Brick-Concrete Aggregate Concrete (RB-CAC). Concrete in northern China is often subjected to freeze-thaw and load coupling, which accelerates the damage degradation of RB-CAC. Therefore, it is necessary to study its damage constitutive model. In this paper, the effects of different stress levels (0%, 20%, 40%, 60% of flexural strength) and freeze-thaw cycles (0 times, 40 times, 80 times, 120 times, 160 times) on the apparent morphology, mass loss, relative dynamic elastic modulus and acoustic emission characteristics of RB-CAC were analyzed by freeze-thaw-load coupling test, constitutive relation test under uniaxial compression and acoustic emission characteristic test. The dynamic evolution of its frost resistance and damage process was analyzed and evaluated. Finally, combined with the knowledge of damage mechanics, the elastic modulus is defined as the damage variable generated by the freeze-thaw-load coupling effect. Based on the mesoscopic damage theory, the ratio of the number of failure interfaces to the total number of interfaces is defined as the damage variable generated by uniaxial pressure. The damage evolution equation of RB-CAC and the damage constitutive model of freeze-thaw times and stress level are established.

Valorisation of Tuff and Brick Wastes by Alkali Activation for Historical Building Remediation.

Nowadays, the preservation and restoration of a historical building needs to be faced in accordance with a novel sensibility regarding the environment in order to preserve the building for future generations. In this context, the scientific community is focusing on novel and sustainable materials and techniques that allow for durability and mechanical performance as well as compatibility with the existing heritage. Alkali-activated materials represent a great challenge to the production of new materials, starting from the existing ones, with the goal of reducing consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and environmental impact. This study deals with the valorisation of waste materials coming from demolition and construction activities in the manufacture of geocomposites suitable for the restoration and conservation of historical heritage. In particular, waste from tuff sawing and brick grinding were used as raw materials, and then the geopolymeric samples produced were characterized based on a physical-chemical and mechanical point of view in order to investigate their performance and evaluate their suitability as materials for a historical building's recovery. The results showed that brick waste-based geocomposites were more compact than the tuff-based ones, as shown by the higher-density values and the lower values of open porosity and water absorption and as further confirmed by the trend of the mechanical performance. Moreover, experimental data showed that the physical and mechanical properties of both bricks and tuff waste-based geocomposites, even with different waste content, are compatible with existing building materials as well as traditional repairing products.

Upcycling of waste brick powder and PET as robust and flexible Janus membrane with asymmetric wettability for switchable emulsion separation

Superwetting membranes were widely studied in the field of oil/water separation due to their excellent separation efficiency and good recoverability, but they still suffer from the disadvantages of expensive reagents, complicated processes, and narrow scope of application. Herein, a robust and flexible Janus membrane with asymmetric wetting properties was constructed using discarded PET and bricks powder as building blocks, for various types of emulsions separation. Given the cross-linking effect of acrylic resin, the superhydrophilic crushed waste bricks powder (WBP) was orderly assembled on the electrospinning PET nanofiber membrane, achieving asymmetric wettability on each side: the high-hydrophobic PET side had underwater superoleophilicity, while superhydrophilic WBP side had underwater superoleophobicity. Janus membrane exhibit excellent corrosion resistance and can maintain stable contact angles in different pH environments. Due to its highly porous and surface anisotropic nature, Janus membrane showed excellent separation efficiency and separation flux for both oil-in-water emulsions (separation efficiency up to 99.4%, separation flux up to 196 L m−2 h−1) and oil-in-water emulsions (separation efficiency up to 99.3%, separation flux up to 792 L m−2 h−1 bar−1). More importantly, Janus membranes exhibited outstanding reusability. This Janus membrane shows great potential in the fields of waste upcycling and emulsion separation.