Red Brick Dust as a Partial Substitute to Cement in Conventional Concrete

In emerging countries like India, the government plans for mega-infrastructure projects for the development of the country. These projects involve construction of high-rise buildings and high-speed rail and road networks. These constructions require higher quantities of concrete, which is a combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregate. The manufacturing process of cement results in emission of CO2 , a pollutant which causes serious health hazards to living beings. The adverse effects are not only limited to posing threat to living beings, but also result in depletion of natural resources which are used as key ingredients in manufacturing cement. This mandates the need to search for cement replacing materials which maintain the same strength or improve the strength of conventional concrete. Red brick Dust is a highly siliceous waste material which is available near brick kilns or while dismantling buildings. Improper handling of red brick dust causes silicosis disease in human beings, when inhaled. Hence there is a need to dispose it off safely. It is reported by various researchers that red brick dust when used as an additive in concrete, improved the strength and durability aspects. Hence, in the present study, it is aimed to improve the compressive strength of conventional concrete by substituting cement partially with red brick dust in conventional concrete. The study has revealed that upon substituting cement with red brick dust, the compressive strength of conventional concrete is increased by about 13%. The present study reveals that red brick dust can be effectively used as a partial substitute to cement in conventional concrete thereby addressing the adverse effects of cement manufacturing and health hazards of improper disposal of red brick dust