Compressive strength and economic viability of concrete blocks with ceramic brick residues

ABSTRACT Bricks and ceramic blocks are widely used in constructions of structural and non-structural masonry, providing adequate conditions of comfort to the indoor environment. The manufacture of these ceramic products implies discarding of damaged elements, due to non-conformity of dimensions, failures in the process of burning or breaking. The simple disposal of these pieces in landfills generates removal costs and environmental impacts, as well as the waste of material that still contains valuable physical and mechanical properties. In this context, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the viability of using aggregates from the ceramic brick residue in the concrete dosage to produce solid blocks for paving and masonry, concerning their compressive strength and the economics aspects. For this purpose, ceramic bricks were grounded in hammer mills to elaborate concrete mixtures with replacement of aggregates (fine and coarse). The mechanical performance of these blocks was evaluated by using a compression test as well as the economic feasibility of the waste recovery process in a five-year horizon for different scenarios. The results indicate that blocks produced with substitution of 80% of fine aggregate presented a high mechanical performance and economic viability. It is concluded that production of blocks for paving and masonry is a viable solution for the recovery and destination of waste from the ceramic industry.

摘要
砖及陶瓷砌块广泛应用于结构及非结构砌体建筑中，可为室内环境营造适宜的舒适条件。在陶瓷制品的生产过程中，会因尺寸不合格、焙烧工序失误或构件破损而产生废弃砖件。将这类废弃砖件直接填埋处理，不仅会产生清运成本与环境负面影响，还会浪费仍具备优良物理与力学性能的物料。在此背景下，本研究旨在评估以陶瓷砖废料作为集料掺入混凝土配合比中，制备铺路及砌体用实心砌块的可行性，重点考察其抗压强度与经济性。为此，本研究通过锤式粉碎机将废砖研磨处理，配制不同集料（细集料与粗集料）取代率的混凝土混合料。通过抗压试验评估这类砌块的力学性能，并针对不同场景以五年为周期评估废料回收工艺的经济可行性。试验结果表明，采用80%细集料取代率制备的砌块具备优良的力学性能与经济可行性。综上可知，制备铺路及砌体用砌块是陶瓷工业废料回收与资源化处置的可行方案。