To Study the Effect of Brick Kiln Ash as a Partial Replacement for Fine Aggregate in Cement Concrete

Abstract

Concrete is a fundamental construction material composed of cement, sand, and coarse aggregates, with sand and aggregates primarily sourced from natural resources. However, the rapid pace of urbanization and infrastructure development has led to the depletion of these essential materials, necessitating sustainable alternatives. This research investigates the feasibility of using Brick Kiln Ash (BKA), a waste by-product generated from the combustion of agricultural residues such as mustard husks in brick kilns, as a partial replacement for fine aggregates in concrete. The study aims to address environmental concerns associated with the disposal of BKA, while exploring its potential to enhance the mechanical properties of concrete. Concrete mixes of M25 grade were prepared with varying percentages of BKA (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) replacing natural fine aggregate. Comprehensive tests were conducted to evaluate the workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength of both fresh and hardened concrete at different curing ages. Preliminary results suggest that BKA, when used within optimal replacement levels, can improve concrete performance while reducing environmental impact and material costs. This research not only contributes to sustainable construction practices but also promotes effective waste management by reusing industrial and agro-waste by-products in concrete production.

Introduction

The study investigates the use of Brick Kiln Ash (BKA), an abundant industrial by-product from mustard husk-fueled brick kilns in Rajasthan, as a partial replacement for fine aggregates in concrete. BKA has beneficial properties like fine particle size and high silica content but also challenges such as inconsistent composition and high water absorption. Improper disposal of BKA causes environmental issues, making its sustainable reuse urgent.

Previous research shows that various ashes (fly ash, bottom ash, coffee husk ash) can partially replace sand or cement in concrete, often improving mechanical strength and sustainability, though effects on workability and strength vary with replacement levels. Studies on BKA indicate improvements in concrete strength up to certain replacement percentages.

This study aims to:

• Design M25 concrete mix.

• Replace fine aggregate with BKA in varying amounts (0–50%).

• Evaluate workability, compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths.

• Conduct cost analysis for practical viability.

Materials used include OPC 43 cement, locally sourced aggregates, natural river sand, and BKA with comparable physical properties to sand. The methodology involves preparing concrete mixes with different BKA percentages, curing specimens, and testing mechanical properties.

Results show that increasing BKA content reduces workability due to higher water absorption by BKA’s porous particles, although slump values remain within acceptable limits. The study promotes BKA as a sustainable alternative to natural sand, addressing environmental concerns and supporting green construction.

Conclusion

1) Workability decreased as BKA content increased, with slump values dropping from 72 mm (0%) to 55 mm (50%).This is due to BKA’s finer particles and high water absorption, which reduce available mixing water. Even with a constant water-cement ratio, BKA lowers slump values significantly. 2) Compressive strength increased up to 20% BKA, peaking at 32.97 N/mm² (28 days), then declined at higher levels. The gain is due to BKA’s pozzolanic and filler effects improving matrix bonding. Concrete specimens incorporating 20% brick kiln ash as a fine aggregate substitution showed improved compressive strength compared to the nominal mix. After 7 and 28 days of curing, the strength increased by approximately 8.31% and 3.51%, respectively, indicating better performance under compression at this substitution level.. At 50% BKA, strength dropped to 26.54 N/mm², likely from excess fines and weak bonding. 3) Split tensile strength improved with up to 20% BKA, reaching 3.42 N/mm² at 28 days. Replacing fine aggregate with 20% brick kiln ash in concrete resulted in improved split tensile strength by 7.06% after 7 days and 4.90% after 28 days of curing compared to the nominal mix concrete.. Beyond 20%, strength declined, with the lowest value of 2.48 N/mm² at 50% BKA. This is due to poor aggregate interlock and reduced cohesion from excess fines. 4) Flexural strength peaked at 20% BKA with 4.19 N/mm² at 28 days. Replacing fine aggregate with 20% brick kiln ash in concrete led to increased flexural strength by 8.13% after 7 days and 8.54% after 28 days of curing compared to the nominal mix concrete.Strength decreased after 30% BKA, with 3.41 N/mm² at 50%. Strength reduces at higher fine aggregate replacement because bottom ash particles increase porosity and weaken bonding. Their irregular shape and higher water absorption lower cement hydration and concrete cohesion. 5) Concrete cost dropped steadily from ?4650 (0% BKA) to ?4378 (50% BKA), a 5.80% savings. The reduction is due to BKA being cheaper than natural sand. Using BKA lowers cost and supports sustainable concrete production.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Rakesh Kumar Goyal, Dr. Hemant Sood. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.