Fly ash bricks are manufactured by mixing water, quarry dust/river sand, cement, fly ash and stone aggregates less than 6mm, normally the actual cement volume will be replaced with 10% to 20% fly ash.
They are considered good and inexpensive building materials including Class C, fly ash and water.
Here we will learn about fly ash bricks, properties of flyash bricks & much more.
Introduction to fly ash bricks:
Fly ash brick are environmentally friendly, manufactured by hydraulic pressure machines.
They are 28% lighter than normal clay bricks and have a compressive strength greater than 40Mpa than normal bricks.
They are inexpensive and eliminate the need for plaster, it can reduce high construction costs and soil erosion.
Properties of flyash bricks:
Appearance: The bricks have a pleasing cement colour, which is uniform in shade and smooth, but does not require plastering for building works.
Thermal conductivity: They do not absorb heat and give maximum light reflection.
Sound Insulation: It provides an acceptable degree of sound insulation.
Fire and Vermin Resistance: They have good fire resistance, it has no problem with vermin attacks.
Durability and moisture content: These blocks are highly durable, the absorption of water is 6–12%, which reduces the humidity of the walls.
Toxicity and Stability: When mixed with lime, fly ash turns into a non-toxic product thus have potential as a good building material.
Advantages of Fly ash Bricks:
- They are light in weight, so suitable for multi-storey buildings because as the height of the buildings increases, the stress and strain on the foundation and structure increases.
- Due to the lighter bricks, this stress and strain are decreases manifold.
- Fly ash bricks absorb less heat and they are better than clay bricks, for Indian climate.
- Due to the high strength, there is practically no breakdown during transport and use.
- The leakage of water through bricks is reduced due to less water penetration.
- Gypsum plaster (plaster of paris) can be directly applied on these bricks without a backing coat of lime plaster.
- These bricks do not require to soak in water for 24 hours, a sprinkling of water before use is sufficient.
- Less mortar is required during construction, further for the operation of the machine requires less labour.
- The compressive strength is very high and they are less porous.
- They absorb less water and save costs.
- It is environmentally friendly therefore allows your business to take a step towards sustainable development.
- No fossil fuels are required for the production of fly ash brick hence no emission of greenhouse gases.
- The production of clay brick damages the top-soil and prevents fly ash in the process of manufacturing bricks, there is no solid loss.
- Flyash bricks are stronger, more uniform and denser than clay bricks.
- Their mortar consumption is low, their dissipation is only 1% against clay bricks which is around 10%.
Disadvantages of Fly ash Bricks:
- Poor quality often has a negative impact on concrete, it can increase permeability, thus damaging the building.
- Some fly ash, which originates in a power plant, is usually suitable for concrete thus it is very important to use only high-quality fly ash to prevent negative effects on the structure of the building.
- The strength of mechanical bonding is weak but can be corrected using marble waste.
- There will be more wear and tear in the range of size.
Fly ash bricks manufacturing process:
Application of Fly ash Bricks:
- In low- and medium-sized structures, load-bearing exterior walls.
- On load-bearing internal walls.
- High load-bearing exterior or interior walls in high-size buildings.
RELATED ARTICLES:
SAND LIME BRICKS | FIRE BRICKS | CLAY BRICKS | BRICK MASONRY
Conclusion:
Mechanical properties were found to be enhanced in fly ash bricks as compared to clay bricks.
Compressive strength and flexural strength of fly ash brick were 54.21% and 56% higher than clay brick.