Experimental Determination of Physical Properties of a Sun Dried Clay Bricks with Cement and Ashes

Abstract

The rising cost of cement and the problem of waste disposal with regard to coconut and rice husks lead to research on a clay brick with good physical properties that can replace cement brick and at the same time keep our environment clean. In line with this, bricks were molded with clay, cement, rice husk ash, and coconut husk ash. The bricks were analyzed to determine their physical properties. In this study, a set of tables for mixing the proportion of raw material in grams with 33.3 cm³ of water, the table involved the addition of a certain additive to clay to improve the physical properties of adobe bricks developed. Five bricks were constructed for seventeen samples that give a total of 85 bricks which were tested in the laboratory for physical properties. The results shows that the bricks constructed with clay mixed with cement and coconut husk ash has the highest compressive strength of 4270.0 x 10^-3 Nmm^-2 and a modulus of rupture of 1750.0 x 10^-2 Nmm². The bricks constructed with clay, cement and rice husk ash and bricks of clay mixed with cement and rice husk ash and coconut husk ash both are having the highest water absorption of 1000 cm³. This result indicated that the brick molded with clay, cement and coconut husk ash is stronger for building that can stay for many years without collapsing. Also, it indicated that the bricks molded with clay, and coconut husk ash were good for the low heat conduction in the houses. And also bricks constructed with clay, cement, rice husk ash and coconut husk ash has low weight and can be used for the construction of lightweight houses.