Feasibility of using industrial waste in Sri Lanka to develop composite construction material: A Review
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Date
2018
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Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Sri Lanka has been facing an increasing industrialization process since free market
economy in 1977. Consequently, a multitude of factories were located in highly
populated urban or sub-urban areas and their improper disposal of waste has ensued
environmental pollution and public health hazards. On the other hand, an excessive
demand for clay bricks has arisen due to the growth of population and
advancements in the construction sector in the country. A sustainable solution for
both above stated problems can be derived by developing this composite clay brick
using selected industrial wastes in order to achieve green economic benefits. The
purpose of this paper is to review the previous literature to overlook the feasibility
of utilizing industrial waste to develop a composite brick for construction industry
in Sri Lanka by using clay and solid industrial waste such as ceramic, glassware and
electronic waste, fly ash, rice husk ash and sugarcane bagasse ash. Clay is a nonrenewable resource which was used as the main raw material in the production of
the clay brick. As the first step, selected industrial waste materials were processed
and mixed with clay in different weight ratios. Thereafter, the mixture was
subjected to shape and press. Subsequently the firing was done in suitable
temperature conditions for selected time ranges. Finally, drying process was carried
out by natural or artificial methods. After the manufacturing, standard tests were
done in order to examine the compressive strength, water absorption and bulk
density of the bricks. The composite bricks that were made from various industrial
wastes indicated favorable results in above tests in different clay to waste mass
ratios. Despite the limitations in the research area, this brick can be used for
constructions in the future through further research, development and
standardization.
Keywords: Industrial Waste, Composite, Construction Material, Sustainability, Waste
Management
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Keywords
Materials Sciences, Mineral Sciences