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.