Fired clay bricks incorporating palm oil fuel ash as a sustainable building material: an industrial-scale experiment

Abstract

Waste materials are often used in brick manufacturing to develop a sustainable building material and reduce the consumption of natural clay resources. In this study, palm oil fuel ash (POFA), a waste generated from the palm oil industry, was used in brick production as clay replacement at dosages of 5, 10, 15 and 20% by weight. The brick specimens were produced in a local factory to study the feasibility of manufacturing bricks containing POFA under real industrial production conditions and their properties were compared with conventional bricks (0% POFA). The results show that a lighter brick is produced when mixed with POFA but the flexural and compressive strength decreased. Water absorption and initial rate of absorption increased when clay is mixed with POFA due to the presence of a more porous structure than conventional bricks. Further, brick specimens containing POFA had a higher resistance to the formation of efflorescence than conventional bricks; however, their resistance was poor when subjected to sulphate attack. The findings of this study suggest that up to 5% POFA can be used as clay replacement for bricks produced in a local brick kiln industry to meet the current international standards for conventional bricks.

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