CHAPTER - 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 FLY ASH BRICK

Fly ash brick is a building material, specifically masonry units. Fly

ash brick refers to those bricks which use fly ash, lime or cement as main raw
materials, adding moderate gypsum and aggregates, after mixture preparation,
pressed in moulding , then through high temperature and temperature or normal
pressure curing or natural curing methods .These can be extensively used in
all building constructional activities similar to that of common burnt
clay bricks. The bricks are carried on wooden pellets to the open area
where they are dried and water cured for 14 days. The strength of fly
ash brick manufactured with the above compositions is normally of the
order of 7.5 N/mm2 to 10 N/mm2. Fly ash bricks are lighter and stronger
than clay bricks.

1.2 ADVANTAGES OF FLY ASH BRICK

 It reduces dead load on structures due to light weigh

 Same number of bricks will cover more area than clay bricks
 High fire Insulation
 Due to high strength, practically no breakage during transport and
use
 Due to uniform size of bricks mortar required for joints and plaster
reduces almost by 50%.
 Due to lower water penetration seepage of water through bricks is
considerably reduced.
 Gypsum plaster can be directly applied on these bricks without a
backing coat of lime plaster.
 These bricks do not require soaking in water for 24 hours.
Sprinkling of water before use is enough

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

Appearance
 These bricks have a pleasing colour like cement, are uniform in shape and
smooth in finish, also, they require no plastering for building work. The bricks
are of dense composition, uniformly shaped with/without a frog, free from
visible cracks, warp-age, organic matter, pebbles and nodules of free lime. They
are lighter in weight than ordinary clay bricks and less porous too. The colour of
fly ash bricks can be altered with the addition of admixtures during the process
of brick making. They come in various sizes, but generally are similar to the
sizes of clay bricks.

Structural Capability
These bricks can provide advantages being available in several load-
bearing grades, savings in mortar plastering, and giving smart looking
brickwork. High compressive strength eliminates breakages/wastages during
transport and handling, the cracking of plaster is reduced due to lower thickness
of joints and plaster and basic material of the bricks, which is more compatible
with cement mortar. Due to its comparable density the bricks do not cause any
extra load for design of structures and provides better resistance for earthquake
loads due to panel action with high strength bricks. Compressive strength of fly
ash sand lime bricks is av. 9.00 N/mm2 (as against 3.50 N/mm2 for handmade
clay bricks).

Thermal properties
Thermal conductivity is 0.90-1.05 W/m2 ºC (20-30% less than those of
concrete blocks). These bricks do not absorb heat; they reflect heat and gives
maximum light reflection without glare.

Sound insulation
It provides an acceptable degree of sound insulation.

Fire and vermin resistance

Fly ash bricks have a good fire rating. It has no problems of vermin
attacks or infestation.

Durability and moisture resistance

These blocks are highly durable, after proper pointing of joints, the bricks
can be directly painted in dry distemper and cement paints, without the backing
coating of plaster. Rectangular faced with sharp corners, solid, compact and
uniformly Water absorption is 6-12% as against 20-25% for handmade clay
bricks, reducing dampness of the walls.

Sustainability (environmental impacts)

 Fly ash is a cocktail of unhealthy elements – silica, aluminum, iron
oxides, calcium, magnesium, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, and poses serious
environment and health hazards for a large population. But the brick is better
off, for fly ash changes into a non-toxic product when mixed with lime at
ordinary temperature as the calcium silicate hydrates and forms a dense
composite inert block.Thus having the potential as a good building material,
while offsetting about 100million tonne’s of fly ash annually produced in India
by the numerous thermal power plants, which could cause serious
contamination of land, groundwater and air.

Buildability, availability and cost

The blocks have an easy workability and high compressive strength
eliminates breakages/wastage during handling giving a neat finish, with lower
thickness of joints and plaster. The construction technique remains the same as
regular bricks ensuring easy change of material, without requiring additional
training for the masons. Though these bricks are abundantly available closer to
thermal power plants all over the country for obvious reasons, finding dealers in
all major cities and towns wouldn’t be a problem.

Applicability
The blocks being available in several load bearing grades are suitable for
use: -
 Non-load bearing internal walls in low and medium size
structures.
 Non-load bearing internal or external walls in high-rise buildings.
 Load bearing external walls, in low and medium size structures.

NEED FOR THE STUDY

Sand is the most important ingredient for the fly ash brick. Due to
exhausting usage of river sand, the availability of resource is getting
considerably low and the water table is getting reduced. Usage of granite dust
and quarry dust as partial replacement for sand might be a better and
economical solution.
Hence a study on suitability of granite dust and quarry dust for fine
aggregate is considered.

SCOPE
 In this project quarry dust the waste material produced during the
extraction of aggregate and granite dust the waste material produced during
granite polishing in granite industries are used as partial replacement material for
fine aggregate. Quarry dust is partially replaced for sand in 10%, 20%, 30%,40%.
Granite dust is partially replaced for sand in 10%, 20%, 30%,40%. The water
absorption and compression strength of the specimens are determined at 7 and
14days.
OBJECTIVES
 To study the various strengths of fly ash brick with different
percentage of partial replacement of granite dust and quarry dust
such as compressive strength and water absorption on bricks at 7
days and 14 days.
 To compare experimentally the performance of brick with different
percentage of partial replacement of granite dust and quarry dust.
LITERATURE REVIEW
1. ‘An Experimental Investigation on Utilization of Waste Foundry Sand
and Granulated Blast Furnace Slag as Partial Replacement to Sand in Fly
Ash Bricks’ by Sanmathi B, etc., Volume 4, Issue 8, February 2015
The continuous technological development has led to enormous amount of
waste, the accumulation of which is an environmental concern. The increased
demand for River Sand has led to excessive mining and a need to find a sand
substitute. The present work is one such attempt where Waste Foundry Sand
(WFS) and Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) are used as a substitute to
Sand in the manufacture of Fly ash Bricks by replacing Sand with WFS and
GBFS by 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% by
weight respectively during their manufacture. The Fly ash bricks with only
Natural sand (NS) as fine aggregate are designated as FB-1, those with sand
replaced by WFS are designated as FB-2. The bricks with Sand replaced by
GBFS are designated as FB-3. All the three types of bricks were manufactured
with the same 8% Cement, 60% Fly ash and 32% fine aggregate. The Dry
compressive strength for 40% replacement of sand with waste foundry sand and
50% replacement of sand with Granulated Blast Furnace Slag at 28 days of
curing is 10.3% and 10.1% more than that of Fly ash bricks with no
replacement of sand. The wet compressive strength for 40% replacement of
sand with waste foundry sand and 50% replacement of sand with Granulated
Blast Furnace Slag at 28 days of curing is 10.8% and 12.5% more than that of
fly ash bricks with zero percent replacement of sand. The water absorption of
Fly ash bricks decreased with increase in the percentage replacement of sand by
waste foundry sand and increased with increase in the percentage replacement
of sand by Granulated Blast Furnace Slag.
2. ‘UTILIZATION OF MARBLE AND GRANITE WASTES IN BRICK
PRODUCTS’ by S. DHANAPANDIANA , etc.,

Marble and granite sawing powder wastes is one of the major worldwide
environmental problems. As a consequence of environmental and financial
considerations, there is a growing demand for wastes to be re-used or recycled.
Therefore, this work intends to discuss the possibilities of using marble and
granite sawing wastes as alternative raw materials in the production of bricks.
Samples of marble and granite wastes were collected from companies located in
Madurai District. Clay mixture and fired industrial bricks were collected from a
brick chamber located in Ramanathapuram District, Tamilnadu, India. Results
obtained through chemical and mineralogical analysis (XRF and XRD), Liquid
and plasticity limit and plasticity index, particle size analysis compressive
strength, flexural rupture strength, water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent
density and Bulk density, show that marble and granite sawing wastes can be
added to the Ramanathapuram clay mixture upto 50 wt.% with no detrimental
effect on the properties of the sintered brick products.

3. ‘AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PROPERTIES OF FLY ASH

BRICKS’ by Er. Naveen Hooda , etc., volume 2, September 2014
In fast growing today’s world development of new building materials and
Processing & utilization of industrial waste is being given the top priority in the
program of building research at a very high rate. This is important for achieving
maximum disposal of wastes and conservation of scarce resources and
materials.
 The bricks produced were about 29% lighter than clay bricks. The
compressive strength of bricks manufactured from fly ash possessed higher than
20 MPa. This generally exceeds the best of load carrying clay bricks available
by more than 25% and is several times better than acceptable commercially
available common clay bricks. Other important characteristics of the fly ash
bricks have been evaluated. The values of these characteristics for fly ash bricks
are excellent and have exceeded those pertaining to clay bricks. Moreover, fly
ash bricks have been produced with a naturally occurring reddish colour similar
to that of normal clay bricks. The new bricks and process have been patented.
This dissertation presents the results of testing and the advantages gained by
this type of fly ash bricks over conventional clay bricks.

In the present study, the effects of fly ash on the properties of bricks are studied
and the behaviour of fly ash bricks is compared with conventional burnt clay
bricks.
 The various properties of fly ash bricks with different materials were
tested. The properties studied water absorption, hardness, efflorescence,
soundness, shape and size, crushing strength and basic compressive strength of
the prism using different mortar mixes normally 1: 3, 1: 4 and 1: 5 cement-sand
mortars.

In general bricks are made by top fertile agricultural soil but by using fly ash, 28
percent of top fertile agricultural soil is saved. Use of fly ash in brick making
also is beneficial in diverse ways. As compared to conventional clay bricks fly
ash bricks are stronger, more durable and yet more economical. Also, the
process of fly ash brick manufacturing results in lesser pollution. Being less
permeable as compared to clay bricks dampness related issues are far lesser in
case of fly ash bricks than their clayey counterparts.

4. ‘FLY ASH BRICK: GLASS FIBRE THE INNOVATIVE CONCEPT

FOR GETTING HIGHER STRENGTH BRICK’ by Nutan C. Patel1, Prof.
Jayeshkumar Pitroda, volume 2, march 2013,
Experiments have been carried out by several materialslike Fly ash, lime, sand,
Kheda dust, Glass fibre for the manufacturing of the brick.The fly ash of ‘F’
category was used as a raw material for making fly ash bricks. The combination
of fibre fly ashbrick have different percentage of theGlass fibre adding like
0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%. In the testing of the fibre fly ash brick there are
main two type of the testing is done compressive strength test and water
absorption test after 7, 14, 21days. With Changing (increasing) in the
percentage of the Glass fibre of compressive strength of the fibre fly ash brick is
increase and water absorption is decrease.

5. ‘UTILIZATION OF GRANITE AND MARBLE SAWING POWDER

WASTES AS BRICK MATERIALS, by Swaminathan DHANAPANDIAN,
volume 4, October 2009,
The main objective of waste management system is to maximize economic
benefits and at the same time protection of the environment. Granite and marble
process industry generates a large amount of wastes mainly in the form of
powder during sawing and polishing processes, which pollute and damage the
environment. Therefore, this work aims to characterize and evaluate the
possibilities of using the granite and marble sawing wastes, generated by the
process industries from Salem District, Tamilnadu state, India, as alternative
raw materials in the production of bricks. Samples of clay material and fired
industrial bricks were collected from nearby District namely Namakkal, India.
Their characterization was carried out with the determination of chemical
composition, mineralogical and petrological analysis, particle size, plasticity,
FTIR, and Mössbauer measurements. Secondly, technological tests were
conducted on wastes incorporated brick specimens in order to evaluate the
suitability of addition of wastes in the production of bricks. The results showed
that granite and marble wastes can be added up to 50 wt. % into the raw clay
material in the production of bricks

Methodology

Literature study

Material collection and tests

Casting of specimen

Curing of specimen

Compression test on bricks

Water absorption test on bricks

Result and discussion