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Experimental study on eco-friendly light weight bricks by partial replacement

of clay with saw dust

Article in Seybold Report · September 2020

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 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211

Experimental study on eco-friendly light weight bricks by partial

replacement of clay with saw dust

Syed Faraz Siddique1 Chandanashree P V2, Varun gowda K N3, Preetham M L4, Charan B G5
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
2
Undergraduate Student, Department of CTM Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India
3
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Karnataka,India
4
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Karnataka,India
5
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India
1
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
5
[email protected]

Abstract: This paper presents the salient features of an experimental study on light weight bricks prepared by partially replacing clay with
saw dust and cow dung. Influence on compressive strength, water absorption, Soundness, Shape, Size, colour, Efflorescence and density
characteristics are studied by varying replacement percentage of clay with sawdust. Saw dust, the Industrial waste obtained from sawdust refuse
dump from Timber shade & saw-mills, if used for partially replacing clay can reduce the density of brick to a considerable extent. Cow dung
slurry was obtained by mixing cow dung with water. We used 2% of Cow dung slurry and 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% of Saw dust in bricks, and
obtained maximum strength at 7.5 % replacement .The reduction of percentage of clay used in the bricks reduces the overall weight of the bricks
and hence these bricks can be used for the construction of load bearing walls. In framed structure the principle function of wall is that of
cladding. Hence light weight bricks will reduce the dead load of masonry on beam, giving light section of beam and bricks thereby saving in
construction material resources. Keeping this in view an experimental study has been carried out to test the performance of saw dust in clay
bricks. Bricks of 19cm×11cm×9cm are considered for test report. The result of the various tests is sufficiently encouraging and suggest to
manufacture saw dust bricks prepared in proportion of 7.5% of saw dust and 2% of cow dung slurry since compressive strength for this ratio is
found to be 31.20 N/mm2 and provides optimum & desired result.

Keyword: - Saw dust, clay, cow dung slurry, compressive strength, Eco-friendly, light weight.

1. INTRODUCTION
Brick is a block made of clay burnt in a kiln. It is one of the primary building materials known to mankind. Bricks are
composed of inorganic non-metallic material and are widely used as building components all over the world. Over
time, bricks have appeared, gained prominence, lost importance and then come to the forefront again with various
styles of architecture. Burnt bricks were used in ancient Indian, Babylon, Egypt and Roman civilizations.
The need for locally manufactured building materials has been emphasized in many countries of the world because of
their easy availability and low cost. Bricks also have been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building
materials, made from locally available sources, used throughout history. Ordinary building bricks are made of a
mixture of clay, which is subjected to various processes, differing according to the nature of the material, the method
of manufacture and the character of the finished product. After being properly prepared the clay is formed in moulds
to the desired shape, then dried and burnt. Burnt clay bricks are weaker compared to bricks made of cement in terms
of strength and durability. Another important factor adding to the disadvantages of burnt clay brick is the
environmental impact involved in the manufacturing process of clay bricks. To overcome these drawbacks an attempt
has been made to increase the overall efficiency of clay brick by adding other suitable materials along with clay in the
manufacturing process. In this project, we have tried to study the effects of adding saw dust to the conventional clay
bricks. The effect of addition of saw dust in varying percentages, to different properties of clay bricks such as
compressive strength, water absorption etc. is investigated.
Considering all the points discussed above, there is a need to find some alternative so as to reduce the impact of clay
brick manufacturing process on the environment and at the same time increase the overall performance of the bricks.
This research aims to achieve both the mentioned improvements by using admixtures along with clay during the
manufacturing process. Certain group of admixtures are added to increase the bond between the particles and thus the
strength of the brick. Such admixtures are either cementitious or pozzolanic materials.

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2. OBJECTIVE
Utilization of waste in the production of bricks can help in the conservation of natural resource like clay and saw dust,
unless reprocessed into particleboard, burned in a sawdust burner or used to make heat for other milling operations.
sawdust may collect in piles and add harmful leachates into local water systems, creating an environmental hazard.
The use of excessive amount of soil causes soil degradation. Brick manufacturing industries use huge amount of fuel
and kiln process which is highly inefficient which leads to air pollution and causes damage to vegetation and human
health. The main objective of this research is to investigate the properties of unburnt bricks produced by partial
replacement of clay with Saw dust and cow dung slurry.

3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Materials used:
The materials used to manufacture light weight bricks consist of:
i. Clay: Clay is a finely-grained natural rock or soil material that combines one or more clay minerals with possible
traces of quartz (SiO2), metal oxides (Al2O3 , MgO etc.) and organic matter. Clays are plastic due to particle size and
geometry as well as water content, and become hard, brittle and non–plastic upon drying. Depending on the soil's
content in which it is found, clay can appear in various colors from white to dull grey or brown to deep orange-red.
Natural clay minerals, including kaolin and shale, make up the main body of brick. Clay is cheap, readily available,
strong, fire-proof and long lasting.

Figure No 1 Clay
ii. Cow dung Slurry: Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow pies or cow manure, is the waste product of bovine
animal species. These species include domestic cattle, bison, yak, and water buffalo. The bricks are made using 2% of
cow dung slurry. Bricks manufactured using cow dung turns cattle waste into bricks that are cheaper, greener and
lighter than regular clay bricks.

Figure No 2 Cow Dung

iii. Sawdust (mix of teak, eucalyptus, mango and other species trees etc.)
Saw dust obtained from local (Bangalore) saw mill was used. Sawdust is used as pore former to attain insulating
properties of bricks. Sawdust used is generated from the mechanical processing of raw wood in the sawing process.
The having sawdust particle size 1.6 mm provided better results.

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 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211

Figure No 3 Saw Dust

3.2 Preparation:
Moulds of size 19cm×11cm×9cm were used to produce handmade bricks. In the preparation of bricks, the percentage
of cow dung slurry was kept constant and percentage of saw dust was varied with respect to that of clay. For each
replacement percentage 6 brick samples were casted.
Mixing: - The required quantities of materials were weighed out as per proportions and mixing was done as per IS
specifications. The materials were hand-mixed.
Moulding: - The bricks were casted as per IS specification. Size of mould used was 19cm×11cm×9cm.
The saw dust was varied by 2.5%,5% and 7.5%, while keeping the percentage of cow dung slurry constant i.e. 2%.
Sun drying: Specimens were dried under the sun for 3 months.

Figure No 4 Mixing of clay and sand dust with cow dung

Testing: - Bricks were tested after 84 days of drying under the sun. Materials used for preparing bricks were tested as
per IS specification and following are the observations.
a. Fineness modulus of saw dust was found to be 3.69.
b. Moisture content of sawdust was found to be 0% which is within the permissible limit.
In order to obtain the high compressive strength and water-resistant properties, the bricks must be sun dried.

4. RESULTS
4.1 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
The compressive strength was investigated by using the compressive strength testing machine available in the
Construction and Building Materials laboratory. Six bricks from each level of saw dust addition were tested and
average compressive strength was calculated. The strength characteristics were ccompared with that of the standard
brick. The variation in compressive strength versus percentage of saw dust is shown in figure-4. The maximum
compressive strength was obtained at 7.5% replacement of saw dust.

% of Replacing Material Compressive

(with respect to volume of strength
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 8 2020 2779
 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211
brick) (MPa)
2.5 26.00
5.0 27.50
7.5 31.20

Table No 1 Compressive Strength

36
34
strength (MPa)

31.2
Compressive

32
30
27.5
28 26
26
24
22
20
18
2.50% 5.00% 7.50%

PERCENTAGE OF SAW DUST

Figure No 5 Compressive Strength based on percentage of saw dust

4.2 WEIGHT COMPARISON

It was observed that the weight of the sun-dried bricks reduced linearly as the percentage of saw dust was
increased.

These bricks in average were about 400g lighter than the normal conventional bricks.

% of Replacing Material WEIGHT OF

(with respect to volume of bricks
brick) (K G)
0(normal brick) 3.229
2.5 2.957
5.0 2.847
7.5 2.840

Table No 2 Weight Comparison

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 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211

WEIGHT COMPARISION
3.3 3.229
WEIGHT OF BRICKS IN KG 3.2

3.1

3 2.957

2.9 2.847 2.84

2.8

2.7

2.6
NORMAL BRICK 2.5 5 7.5
PERCENTAGE OF SAW DUST

Figure No 6 Compressive Strength based on percentage of saw dust

4.3 WATER ABSORPTION

Water absorption test was performed to determine the water absorption property of the saw dust and cow dung
mixed unburnt clay bricks. Six bricks from each level of saw dust addition were selected and the water absorption
test was performed. First the samples were kept under the temperature of 100-105 C for a period of 24 hours and
the dry weight of the samples was measured. The same bricks that were dried in an oven were immersed in the water
for a period of 24 hours and the wet weight of each brick was measured. Water absorption is defined as the ratio
of the reduction of wet weight to dry weight of the brick and presented as a percentage.

% of Replacing Material % of Water

(with respect to volume of brick) Absorption
2.5 8.5
5 16.6
7.5 21.3
Table No 3 Water Absorption

4.4 SHAPE, SIZE AND COLOUR TEST ON BRICKS

Shape and size of bricks are very important properties to be considered. So as to take care of the shape and size of the

bricks, moulds of standard dimensions were used i.e. length x breadth x height as 19cm x 11cm x 9cm.

The bricks prepared from these moulds showed proper rectangular shape with sharp edges and It was also observed

that the bricks were uniform in colour throughout its body.

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 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211

Figure No 6 Finished Bricks

4.5 SOUNDNESS TEST OF BRICKS

Soundness test of bricks shows the nature of bricks against sudden impact. In this test, 2 bricks were struck with one
another and the sound produced was a bell ringing sound and also no cracks were observed on these bricks after the
test was conducted.
4.6 BULK DENSITY
Bulk density of brick is defined as bulk weight of brick per unit volume of brick. High bulk density is an indication of
less pore space. Higher the percentage of saw dust, lower will be the bulk density. This is evident from the
compressive strength values obtained for the bricks.
The bulk density of the bricks mainly depends on the method of manufacturing. It is observed that with the increase in
saw dust the bulk density decreases. Among the various material 7.5% saw dust has the lowest bulk density of 1.50
g/cc which means it is more light weight.

% of Replacing Material Bulk density

(with respect to volume of brick) (g/cc)
2.5 1.57
5 1.51
7.5 1.50
Table No 4 Bulk Density

1.58 1.57

1.56
Bulk density (g/cc)

1.54

1.52 1.51
1.5
1.5

1.48

1.46
2.50% 5.00% 7.50%

PERCENTAGE OF REPLACING MATERIAL

Figure No 7 Bulk Density based on percentage of saw dust

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 Journal of Seybold Report ISSN NO: 1533-9211

3.7 EFFLORESCENCE TEST ON BRICKS

A good quality brick should not contain any soluble salts in it. If soluble salts are there, then it will cause efflorescence
on brick surfaces. If these soluble salts are present in higher percentage, it may result in the disintegration of the brick
surface or plaster applied over it. To know the presence of soluble salts in saw dust and cow dung mixed unburnt clay
bricks , they were placed in a water bath for 24 hours and later dried in shade. After drying, it was observed that there
was no noticeable deposit of efflorescence on the brick surface. Therefore, bricks do not affect the aesthetics of the
building if used.

4. APPLICATION
The bricks in this study is hand moulded and are unburnt. All the bricks have crushing strength not less than 22.50
N/mm2 and the water absorption of the bricks was less than 20% except 7.5% of saw dust and cow dung slurry.
Therefore, all the bricks are classified as First-class bricks except 12% of saw dust and cow dung slurry. In the case of
structures subjected to lighter loads, it helps to reduce the dead load and finally helps in economic design of
foundation of the buildings. The main applications of the bricks produced are:
 Construction of exterior wall brick works, facing works
 Construction of short columns and arches
 Construction of floors and reinforced brickwork

5. CONCLUSION
The objective of this study was to focus the attention on performance of sawdust and cow dung slurry in bricks used in
the construction. Detailed study was carried out and experimental work was done. Final conclusions of the study are
as below:
1. Compressive strength of the brick is the major factor to be taken into account for the construction purpose. It
increases with the addition of the sawdust. As the present study emphasizes on the non-load bearing walls of a
structure, so the reasonable strength of the brick is sufficient, With 7.5% replacement gives strength of 31.20 N/mm2
which is reasonable and economical to be used for the partition walls in frame structure.
2. Density of brick reduces with increase in the % of saw dust. Out of all the three percentages, 7.5% of saw dust with
2% of cow dung slurry showed the least bulk density of 1.50 g/cc. Hence these can be used as light weight bricks.
3. Water absorption capacity increases with increase % of sawdust. Larger absorption of water causes the reduction in
the strength.

6. REFERENCES
1. Demir, “An investigation on the production of construction brick with processed waste tea”, Building and
Environment, vol. 41, pp. 1274- 1278, 2005.
2. V. Ducman, T. Kopar,”Sawdust and paper-making sludge as poreforming agents for lightweight clay bricks
source.” Industrial Ceramics, vol. 21, n°. 2, pp. 81–86, 2001
3. Aakash Suresh Pawar, DevendraBhimraoGarud, "Engineering Properties of Clay Bricks with use of Fly Ash",
IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology Vol. 03 No. 09, 2014
4. H. H. M. Darweesh and M. G. El-Meligy, "Non-Conventional Light Weight Clay Bricks from Homra and Kraft
Pulp Wastes", Journal of Chemistry and Materials Research Vol. 1 (4), 2014.
5. Watile R.K, Deshmukh S.K, Durge P.V, YawaleA.D, "Utilization of Rice Husk for Production of Clay Brick",
International Journal of Research in Advent Technology, Special Issue1st International Conference on Advent Trends
in Engineering, Science and Technology, 2015.
6. Rohit Kumar Arya, Rajeev Kansal, "Utilization of Waste Papers to Produce Eco-friendly Bricks", International
Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Vol. 5, No. 8, 2016.

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