Evaluation of characteristics of fly ash-reinforced clay bricks as building material

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the technical possibilities of incorporating fly ash in clay bricks to produce an industry-acceptable bricks. The effect of fly ash with high replacing ratio from (0% to 50%) of clay on properties of bricks was analyzed. The tests of bulk density, porosity, water absorption, compressive strength, and flexural strength were conducted in accordance with relevant Indian standards in order to estimate the effect of the fly ash content on the performance of the hardened bricks. Novel lightweight bricks have been produced by sintering mixes of fly ash and clay. The results show that fly ash addition up to 50% (in weight) can be beneficial for properties of sintered bricks at temperature 1000°C. Test results revealed that the combined use of clay and fly ash exhibited excellent performance due to efficient micro-filling ability and pozzolanic activity. These bricks give better compressive strength with additional advantage of being lightweight and more environmentally friendly. Effective utilization of fly ash additive is not only for conservation of natural clay resources but also an alternative solution to difficult and expensive waste disposal problems.