Recycling of crushed clay bricks as fine aggregate in concrete and cement mortar

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a testing program to examine the possibility of using crushed clay bricks as fine aggregate in concrete and mortar mixtures. A total of 90 specimens of concrete and mortar were cast at different percentages of crushed bricks (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100)% by weight as replacement of fine aggregate. Mechanical and physical properties of the specimens were conducted and presented in this paper. The experimental results indicated a decrease in compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of the concrete specimens. Also, the presence of crushed bricks aggregate in mixtures reduces the workability and flow ratio compared to the reference mix due to high water demand of the recycled aggregates than the normal aggregate. It can be noted that crushed bricks concrete is a convenient replacement in treading and finishing areas in buildings and in high floors in order to reduce the dead loads.