WASTE TO WEALTH: A STUDY OF LATERITE BRICKS PRODUCED USING BLENDED INCINERATED CORN-COB ASH CEMENT

Abstract

In recent past good attempts have been made for the successful utilization of various agricultural and industrial waste to save environmental pollution. Currently Nigeria has taken a major initiative on developing its infrastructures such as express highways, power projects, industrial structures and mass housing schemes etc., to meet the requirements of globalization, in the construction of buildings and other structures. River sand and Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) which is one of the major constituents used in the production of conventional block has become very expensive, while river sand is becoming scarce due to depletion of river bed. As a result, the suitability of stabilizing laterite brick with Corn cob ash (CCA) an agricultural waste was sought. The Physical, mechanical and durability properties of bricks produced using laterite stabilized with corn cob ash incorporating OPC cement as admixture were investigated. This paper reports the experimental study which investigated the influence of CCA stabilization of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% at 1%, 2%, 3% cement admixture. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength property increases with age at curing. Stabilization up to 6% was found to enhance the strength.