COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LATERITIC BRICKS STABILIZED WITH CEMENT PARTIALLY REPLACED WITH PALM OIL FUEL ASH (POFA)

ABSTRCT

This study investigates the comparative performance of lateritic bricks stabilized with partially replaced cement and Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA). Lateritic soil, abundant in tropical regions, was utilized as the base material for brick production. Cement was partially replaced with varying proportions of POFA to explore its influence on the mechanical and durability properties of the stabilized bricks. Mixing lateritic soil and partially replacing cement with POFA, will give a better understanding on the properties of bricks such as strength of compression, and size and shape of brick while comparing ordinary bricks. The extent of laterite soil will be kept constant as 50%, while the extent of cement and POFA in each mix proportion will vary in percentage of 5%, 10%, and 15% respectively in the production of 200mm x 100mm x 75mm bricks. The bricks will be produced by varying the proportion to compare their compressive strength. The mixture will be equipped with respect to the mix and will be compacted using brick mould. The results revealed that partial replacement of cement with POFA positively impacted the strength and durability characteristics of the stabilized bricks. POFA's pozzolanic properties contributed to improved mechanical strength and reduced permeability, thereby enhancing the long-term durability of the bricks. Additionally, the utilization of POFA as a cement replacement offers environmental benefits by reducing carbon emissions and promoting the sustainable utilization of waste materials in construction. The sample with 5% POFA content exhibited the highest compressive strength of 9.782Mpa at 21 curing days while the lowest compressive strength of 7.523Mpa at 21 days was exhibited by the sample with 15% POFA content.