The Development and Study of Fiber Reinforced Fly Ash Bricks

Abstract

Knowledge of the importance of environmental sustainability and overexploitation of nonrenewable resources in the field of civil engineering has brought tremendous growth in the research and development of various construction materials. One such alternate material is fly ash which is produced from the thermal industries as a waste material. Manufacturing of traditional clay bricks involves the extraction of high amounts of clay and also the removal of topsoil from the soil surface. Usage of such waste by-products extracted from various industries in the place of conventional construction materials is a forward step to reduce the substantial depletion of natural resources. The addition of fibers to concrete has proven to give higher results in terms of Mechanical Properties like compressive strength, flexural strength, etc. Similarly, one such development in bricks by adding fibers might bring higher performance and strength values. Since bricks are one of the basic components in the construction industry, they tend to bear bending loads in case of load-bearing walls and also are susceptible to Cracks. Hence parameters like compressive strength and durability of bricks alter the performance of walls. This paper shows the experimental program on properties like compressive strength, water absorption, and durability of fly ash bricks induced with different fibers like glass fibers and coconut coir in 1 and 2% (by weight of Fly ash). The composition of fiber reinforced fly ash bricks was 60% of fly ash, 10% of ordinary portland cement (OPC), and 30% of quarry dust. The Compressive strength of fiber reinforced fly ash bricks for 7 and 28 days, respectively, along with water absorption, impact resistance, and efflorescence are determined.