Performance evaluation of Burnt Clay-Fly Ash Unburnt Bricks and precast paver blocks

Abstract Brick is one of major construction material and is widely used in construction. Cost of clay brick is considerably increased due to its higher demand, transportation, unavailability of raw materials and environmental restrictions. Moreover, fly ash based un-burnt bricks are commonly used because of its availability as well as superior performance. In the recent years, lot of clay and fly ash brick production units has been started due to their demand. At the same time, quality controls of in-situ bricks which are directly supplied to the construction are not adequately controlled. Brick quality is significantly influenced by its raw materials such as clay and fly ash. Moreover, characteristics of fly ash and clay vary to a greater extent in different regions in India. A comprehensive evaluation of quality of in-situ bricks from different units is not available in the existing literature. In the study, clay bricks and unburnt fly ash bricks were collected from different production units and their characteristics were evaluated. Moreover concrete paver blocks were collected from seven different manufacturers and quality of paver specimens were assessed. Results from the study showed that considerable variations in fly ash bricks compared to standards specifications. However similar characteristics were observed for clay bricks. High strength was observed for precast paver concrete specimens than minimum requirement.