Lightweight masonry bricks produced from wood industry waste

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work was to investigate the use of cement-wood composites to produce lightweight masonry elements, aiming to reduce environmental damages arising from the disposal of the sawdust originated from wood sawing process. Physical (moisture content, water absorption, void ratio and specific gravity) and mechanical (compressive strength and dynamic Young’s modulus) properties of different cement:sand, cement:sand:sawdust and cement:sawdust mix proportions were evaluated. Specific gravity, moisture content, water absorption and compressive strength of 90 × 90 × 190 mm bricks, produced from selected mix proportions, were determined and compared to the requirements of the Brazilian standards for masonry elements. The satisfactory results obtained indicate that lightweight masonry bricks produced with wastes from wood industry have the potential to become an alternative for traditional building materials.