Enhancing of Crushed Brick Aggregate Concrete by Adding Alkalis

Abstract

The process of recycling the waste of construction materials increased in most countries in the world, because of the huge quantities of waste materials result from demolition that will effect of the environment and increase landfills. This research aims to examine the recycle clay bricks aggregate in concrete mix instead of coarse aggregate and to study the effect of alkalis on this kind of concrete by partial replacement of recycle clay bricks aggregate (RCBA) instead of natural coarse aggregate. A cubic, cylinder and prisms specimens were casted to estimate the mechanical properties like dry and wet density, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of rupture for this concrete. The results shows the increasing of RCBA will decrease the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of rupture but the addition of alkalis with 20% of mix water will increase the workability and reduce the mix water and increase the wet and dry densities, and reduce the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength and the modulus of rupture.