IMPROVEMENT OF LOCAL CLAYEY BRICK PROPERTIES BY RICE HUSKS ASH ANDSAWDUST ADDITION

Abstract

The research aims to study the effect of rice husks ash or sawdust ash addition to the soil of locally produced clayey bricks on its properties like compressive Strength, flexural Strength, Water absorption, efflorescence and density. A(60) bricks were brought from Mahaweel governmental bricks factory in Babylon  governorate for executing the above mentioned reference tests. Crushed soil was brought from bricks manufacturing stages of the mentioned factory for individual addition of the two ash types to the soil at ratio of (2,3.5,5 and 6.5)% from soil weight. The mixed raw bricks with ashes were manufactured in similar factory work circumstances and burnt in same factory kiln at a temperature of (900)C˚. A(480) mixed bricks were manufactured to execute  the tests of the mixed bricks with  the two ash types at different addition ratios.   The results showed that the best rice husks ash addition ratio was (3.5)% of bricks soil weight for the compressive Strength was increased by(16.53)%, flexural Strength was increased by(10.80)% as average for the test cases at filling the brick holes with  mortar and without filling, Water absorption was also increased by(12.31)% , the efflorescence was increased by(3.86)% and the density was decreased by (6.39)% compared with the reference.