Papers by Keyword: Bricks

Abstract: UD. Pak Suandi is one of the UDs that produces and sells bricks. Many factors influence the quality of bricks, namely human resources, composition, and processing of raw materials. Brick making sometimes does not match the desired quality, there are often defects/cracks in the bricks. The method used in this research is the Taguchi method, where Taguchi is used to design efficient and effective experiments in identifying factors that influence brick quality, such as brick compressive strength, as well as to determine optimal settings of production parameters with the aim of maximizing brick quality. The results of this research show that the factors that have a significant influence are factors A (Clay) and D (Laban Tree Ash). The high SNR ANOVA value shows this. The optimal concentration settings are 1.40 kg of Clay, 45 ml of Water, 13 grams of Palm Ash and 14 grams of Laban Tree Ash. Where with the composition design, a compressive strength value of 9.73 MPa is obtained. The compressive strength obtained increased by 6.03 Mpa from the company's standard composition of 3.70 Mpa.

Abstract: Geopolymers are known to be environmentally – friendly construction materials that can be used in different applications including concretes and mortars, fire – resistant coating materials, road pavements and masonry units. Despite the economic and environmental – related benefits of utilizing geopolymer products, the production of these materials is also associated with some challenges and difficulties that need to be resolved for the technology to gain recognition and acceptability in the construction industry. In this paper, publications were reviewed to provide some understanding of the problems and challenges of geopolymer brick production. Composition of alkali activator along with curing temperature, are major factors that significantly influence the production cost of geopolymer bricks. Also, incorporation of calcium - rich co - binders into geopolymer mixtures, may lead to reduction in durability resistance of the brick product.

Abstract: Waste wigs are often disposed of in their volume in landfills, thus constituting a nuisance to the environment. Recycling these wigs in masonry bricks is a way via which they can be recycled and reused. On such premises, waste wig fiber (WWF) was recycled by incorporating it into the cement-sand-clay composite mix for masonry brick production. The challenges masonry bricks face include shrinkage and water susceptibility, hence the contributory effect of WWF on physio-hydric properties was assessed in this study. Sample preparation entailed the blending of cement, sand, clay soil, and waste wig fiber. The control mix was prepared by commixing clay with 10 % cement (by clay volume) and 20 % sand (by clay volume). Other mix proportions were reinforced with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 % WWF by clay volume. Prepared composites brick samples were cured for 28 and 56 days and tested for physio-hydric properties. Results revealed that WWF contributed significantly to improving hydro-resisting properties by minimizing porosity, water and moisture absorption, capillary suction, and water permeability. Furthermore, WWF contributed to dimensional stability by reducing shrinkages and weight loss. Hydration time impacts significantly in reducing apparent porosity, water permeability coefficient, moisture and water absorption, capillary suction coefficient; increasing apparent density, weight loss, linear, and volumetric shrinkage. Prolonged time in water ensued higher water absorption. The general outcome depicts that WWF showed promising performance in bricks developed in enhancing water and moisture susceptibility resistance and promoting mass and dimensional stability; hence, it can be employed in reinforcing cement adobe bricks.

Abstract: Owing to the inability of waste concrete to be recycled, unlike aluminium or glass, it is one of the most harmful substances to the environment. Thus, most of the waste concrete was poured in every available space, resulting in environmental contamination due to the chemical content of the waste concrete. This involves the fabrication and characterization of cement bricks’ compressive strength made from concrete sludge waste in order to investigate the feasibility of re using waste concrete. The concrete waste was to substitute the cement composition within the bricks. The composition of cement and waste concrete is varied to investigate effect of its compressive strength and its microstructure. In general, the optimal formulation is 100 wt % cement and 0 wt % waste, with a compressive strength of up to 12 MPa on average. Increasing the waste composition by 50% reduces the compressive strength of the concrete bricks to 2MPa which limiting the range of application suitable with its properties.

Abstract: This study focus on the effects of both water content and cement stabilization on the fire behavior of earth bricks. To observe the effect of cement stabilization, two materials are formulated: raw earth with only soil and water, and stabilized bricks with soil, water and cement (3.5% by mass of soil). Since the material’s mechanical strength can strongly influence its fire behavior, the raw bricks were compacted at 50 MPa to reach a compressive strength similar to the one of stabilized bricks. Four different water contents were tested; dry state obtained with oven drying and three others achieved through equalization at 50%, 75% and 100% of relative humidities. Bricks are then subjected to an ISO 834-1 standard fire. Results show that water content has caused a thermal instability behavior on the raw earth bricks after equalization at 50% and 75% relative humidities. Thermally stable bricks displayed a noticeable diffusion of cracks on their heated face. Furthermore, cement stabilization helps to prevent from thermal instabilities.

Abstract: The construction industry has focused on trying to minimize and control the environmental impacts caused within the process of production and manufacture of fired bricks, for this reason the present research proposes five different alternative mixtures for the elaboration of ecological bricks, four of these based on soil-cement and one obtained through a geopolymerization process, using raw materials from the amazon region and the southern highlands of Ecuador, such as soil from the Centza mine (MC), sand from the Quiringue mine (MQ), organic correctors of husk rice (RH ), peanut shell (PS), natural gypsum (G) from the Malacatos sector and fired brick residues from the same sector. The raw materials were characterized (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical); the soil-cement-based combinations used different percentages of substitution of organic correctors and gypsum, the optimum percentage of water and cement was determined through the compaction test and resistance to simple compression respectively, the samples were cured and tested at ages of 7, 14 and 28 days. In the geopolymerization process, an alkaline solution NaOH was used in different concentrations of molarity and solution contents, the specimens were cured at temperatures of 90 °C, 120 °C, 150 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C. The different combinations were subjected to indirect traction with the purpose to determine the optimal mixture and subsequent estimation of the compressive strength of bricks applying the Griffith criterion, the results were validated by the finite element method, obtaining strengths of 4 MPa in the combination soil-cement sand (SC_Ar1), in soil-cement rice husk (SC_RH2) and soil-cement peanut shell (SC_PS2) mixtures its resistance is 3 MPa, while in the soil-cement gypsum (SC_G4) mixture the resistance is 6.90 MPa and finally the resistance in geopolymeric mixture (GBW) is 13.75 MPa; In this way, the optimal combinations comply and increase the resistance to simple compression of bricks by 35% the SC_Ar1 mixture, 130% in the SC_G mixture with respect to the spanish standard and 129% the GBW mixture with respect to the ecuadorian standard.

Abstract: Brick as a material is of vital importance in the construction industry, however, the burning processes for its preparation contribute to environmental pollution and the generation of greenhouse gases; for this reason, the present research has as aims to propose quality traditional materials for sustainable buildings through the design of soil-cement mixtures in making brick using raw materials from the amazon region of Ecuador: Centza mine (MC) and Quiringue mine (MQ) and improve the mechanical properties of the brick by incorporating carbon nanotubes, which have been dispersed in two aqueous media, sodium naphthalene sulfonate (NSS) and calcium chloride (CC) in percentages of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. The characterization of the raw material (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical) was of great help. The optimum percentage of cement and water was determined through simple compression tests and soil compaction respectively. The different combinations were tested at indirect traction strength at ages 7, 14 and 28 days, determining an optimal mixture for each group of combinations, in this way the simple compressive strength of bricks has been estimated using the Griffith criterion and validation of results by finite element method applying the CivilFEM software, obtaining a resistance of 4 MPa in mixtures of SC-Ar1, 6.3 MPa in combinations of MWCNTs NSS-9 and 5.3 MPa in mixtures of CC-4 MWCNTs, increasing resistance by 57.5% and 32.5% with respect to soil-cement bricks and qualifying them as suitable for use in construction according to standars.

Abstract: Clay fired bricks are commonly encountered in the construction sector as infill between structural frames. This system has been favoured by builders due to familiarity, ease of manufacture, and they also do not require skilled labourers to erect. Produced from moulded clay and hardened by firing in a kiln, brick production is both energy intensive and high in CO₂ emission. Fired bricks are typically held together by cement mortar at the bed and perpend joints which provide very minimal resistance against shearing or flexure. This meant brick walls often require additional wind posts or stiffeners to provide stability. Compressed earth masonry offers an alternative to the conventional brick walling system in that, besides having the advantages of conventional bricks, they also confer higher compressive strengths due to the high-pressure compaction manufacturing process. The high strength allows the system to be adapted into load-bearing masonry system for use in low-rise buildings as an alternative to the more expensive reinforced concrete or steel framing system. The high-pressure compaction process along with high quality moulds also give fair-faced finished to the bricks, allowing them to be used as facing bricks and eliminating the need for surface finishing such as plastering. Additionally, compressed bricks featuring interlocking key holes along the bed joints allows for simplified and faster wall erection process. This review paper aims to document the research progress thus far in adopting the compressed interlocking bricks as a sustainable alternative to current building materials.

Abstract: The occurrence of radionuclides in the raw materials from which the building materials are made is a potential radiation risk in buildings constructed from these materials. In this study, four historical buildings were investigated regarding the natural radioactivity of the used bricks. The gamma radiation was evaluated using the measured mass activities of the most important radionuclides and expressed by the gamma indexes (Iγ) and dose rates. The results proved that the activity concentrations of ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K radioisotopes in bricks are higher than worldwide values. Even though Iγ do not exceed the recommended value (Iγ ˂ 1), the absorbed dose rate for the structures in indoor air was calculated in the range 115.94-161.44 nGy/h which is twice the global average for this parameter.

Abstract: Mosaic sludge is sewerage from mosaic industrial activities such as cutting, polishing and grinding. This sludge mostly will be disposed directly to landfill and some of it was discharged in drainage system without proper treatment. Therefore, in this study, mosaic sludge from the mosaic industry were reused and incorporated into fired clay brick in order to provide alternative disposal method, producing adequate quality of brick as well as minimizing the heavy metal leachability to the environment. First, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was conducted to determine the heavy metal concentration from two types of mosaic sludge. The results indicate that the highest element concentration in mosaic sludge (BS and PS) shows that Barium is the highest with 3253ppm and 3260ppm. On the raw sludge, the lowest obtained in BS and PS is Cesium with 14ppm and 17ppm. SPLP and TCLP also conducted in this study and the results show that, even though the element such as ferum (Fe) and cadmium (Cd) was not detected in XRF but in SPLP and TCLP, it shows that these two elements exist in clay, BS and PS with low concentration. In term of properties, compressive strength was conducted by incorporating 0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% bodymill and polishing sludge into fired clay brick. The results show that compressive strength of BS brick was stronger than PS brick. Lastly, Static Leachate Test (SLT) was conducted to measure the long term leachability of heavy metals from different percentages of mosaic sludge brick. In SLT result, ferum (Fe) shows the highest value of heavy metal concentration among other elements. The results for control brick, BS brick and PS brick show the same pattern and far from the limit set by USEPA.