Use of local materials as additives for brick stabilization

Abstract EN

An attempt was made to investigate the possibility of improving the quality of brick product before and after firing upon mixing sand and red Gercus materials with the Sumail silty clay soil at varying proportions ( between 0 and 30% percent for sand and between 0 and 40% for red Gercus material).

The results indicated that there was a continuing increase in the compressive strength of bricks with increasing the red Gercus content over the entire range from 0 to 40%.

Over this range the compressive strength increased from 7.29 MPa for the control treatment to as high as 12 MPa under 40% of the red Gercus additive.

Further increase in unconfined compressive strength was achieved under firing.

Contrarily, it was noticed that the unconfined strength tended to increase with sand content up to a level of 10 %., beyond which, it tended to decrease with an increase in soil sand content.

Additionally, it was noticed that there was a steady increase in water absorption with increase in red Gercus content over study range.

By contrast, it was observed that further increase in sand content beyond 10% led to a decrease in the percent of water absorption.

Based on water absorption percent, they were classified under type A.

Efflorescence density of the tested bricks was not affected by type and level of additive.

A part from this it was observed a tendency for development of redder color with increase in level of red soil additive.

Eventually, it can be concluded that the optimum replacement percentages of sand and red Gercus materials were 10 and 20% respectively.