International Journal of Civil and Structural Engineering Research ISSN 2348-7607 (Online) Vol. 7, Issue 1, pp: (37-45), Month: April 2019 - September 2019, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Assessment of Potential of Brick Masonry Waste for the Production of Cement Stabilized Masonry Blocks - Experimental Study Vinay Kumar B M1 1
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, New Horizon College of Engineering, Bengaluru-560103
Abstract: The general practice of recycling brick waste is to crush and use them as aggregates in concrete or low grade road base or sent directly for landfill. The author of the present study is of the opinion, that, such practices of brick waste utilization are really not sustainable, as, this inert waste can be utilized, to produce durable and attractive (in terms of color and texture) building units. With this premise, this experimental study is pursued to assess the potential of brick masonry waste for making Cement Stabilized Masonry Blocks (CSMB). The Brick Powder (BP) is obtained by crushing the brick masonry waste obtained from dump yards and used in conjunction with Natural Fine Aggregate (NFA). Fifteen mix compositions are considered by varying BP, NFA as 60:40, 70:30 and 80:20 respectively, with the percentage of cement content as 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15. Wet and dry compressive strength of each of the mix variants is determined by performing tests on cube specimens of size 70. 6mm.The wet compressive strength is found to be 0.75 times the dry compressive strength. A minimum of 10% of cement content is required to achieve the strength in excess of 3.5 Mpa. Keywords: Cement Stabilized Masonry Blocks (CSMB), Brick Powder (BP), Natural Fine Aggregate (NFA).
I. INTRODUCTION Bricks are considered to be the second most widely used material after concrete. Bricks are mostly treated as waste, when broken or damaged during their production, or, from construction and demolition activities. It is observed that brick waste contributes significantly to the waste stream in India. Recycling concrete waste has been widely investigated and has now figured in different national codes of practice for building design and construction. However, the recycling of brick masonry waste has not received much attention, despite their presence all over the world. The general practice of recycling brick waste is to crush and use them as aggregates in concrete or low grade road base or sent directly for landfill. In author opinion, these practices of brick waste utilization are really not sustainable, as, this inert waste can be utilized, to produce durable and attractive (in terms of color and texture) building using the techniques similar to those adopted in the production of Soil Cement Blocks(SCB), which have evolved as an alternative to burnt clay bricks.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW Experimental studies are outlined in the literature with respect to recycling of brick masonry waste [1-7]. These studies are focused towards the making of concrete mixes with brick masonry waste being used as a partial replacement for aggregates [1-3, 6] and cement [4-6]. It has been observed that the higher water absorption and low unit weight, limits its usage in the concrete mixes [1, 3, 6, 7]. D.M Sadek [8] has investigated the possibility of manufacturing different grades of solid cement bricks by using crushed brick aggregates for load bearing and non-load bearing units.
III. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS AND OBJECTIVE The author of the present study considers, the BP recovered from the brick masonry waste has the potential for making blocks suitable for masonry. The processed BP is inert in nature and has the properties similar to that of fine grained soil. However, the absence of clay content may demand a higher percentage of cement. The author is also of the firm opinion, that such recycled units cannot be considered as an alternative to fired clay bricks or other environmentally sustainable
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