Published Paper Details:

Cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water are the major constituents of cement brick. Aggregate, being an important constituent, is used as a filler material and affects the strength and durability properties of concrete. The extraction process of aggregate from quarry contaminates air and water with sulphur dioxide and other pollutants, putting wildlife and local populations at risk. The use of river sand as fine aggregate leads to exploitation of natural resources like, lowering of water table, sinking of bridge piers and erosion of river bed. Red gypsum is the by-product of titanium dioxide extraction from the ilmenite ore and is an industrial waste. It often consumes a lot of space and its disposal is a hectic process. Recent research has confirmed that red gypsum generally contains low level of radioactive material, well below the permitted level stated in the environmental regulation [4]. This makes it desirably suitable for use in different application especially as a construction material. Control mix for the brick was prepared in the ratio 1: 4.5: 4.5 (cement: fine aggregate: coarse aggregate). Fine aggregate was replaced by red gypsum at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. Different tests were carried out on these mixes to investigate its strength and water absorption, hence established the optimum percentage of red gypsum that can be used as a replacement to fine aggregate in cement brick. Cost comparison of control brick and red gypsum incorporated brick was analyzed.