Performance Evaluation of Fired Clay Bricks Incorporating Waste Marble Powder as a Sustainable Partial Replacement for Clay

shivashankar manikrao Vadekar; Rekha B H

Performance Evaluation of Fired Clay Bricks Incorporating Waste Marble Powder as a Sustainable Partial Replacement for Clay

Author(s)	Mr. shivashankar manikrao Vadekar, Dr. Rekha B H
Country	India
Abstract	The rapid growth of the marble processing industry generates significant quantities of waste marble powder (WMP), leading to environmental concerns such as land degradation, air pollution, and groundwater contamination. Simultaneously, conventional fired clay brick production relies heavily on natural clay resources, raising sustainability concerns. This study investigates the feasibility of utilising WMP as a partial replacement for clay in fired brick manufacturing to promote waste valorisation and sustainable construction. Waste marble powder collected from processing units in Bengaluru, India, was characterised using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Brick specimens were produced with WMP replacement levels ranging from 0% to 25% by weight of clay and fired under controlled laboratory conditions. The physical, mechanical, and durability properties of the bricks, including compressive strength, water absorption, apparent porosity, initial rate of absorption (IRA), bulk density, and efflorescence, were evaluated according to relevant standards. Environmental safety was assessed through the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The results indicated that incorporating 15% WMP (CM15) produced the optimum performance. The compressive strength increased to 15.92 MPa, representing a 34.3% improvement over the control brick (11.85 MPa), while water absorption, apparent porosity, and IRA decreased to 12.11%, 29.87%, and 0.10 g/min/cm², respectively. Bulk density increased slightly to 2.05 g/cc, reflecting enhanced particle packing and densification. TCLP results confirmed that heavy metal concentrations remained well below regulatory limits. The improvements were attributed to the microfiller effect and fluxing behaviour of carbonate minerals present in WMP. The study demonstrates that up to 15% WMP can be effectively utilised in fired clay bricks, producing sustainable, environmentally safe, and structurally suitable masonry units while reducing waste disposal and conserving natural clay resources
Keywords	Waste marble powder; Fired clay bricks; Compressive strength; Sustainability; Leachability; Microstructure; Circular economy; Sustainable construction materials
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-06-08

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Performance Evaluation of Fired Clay Bricks Incorporating Waste Marble Powder as a Sustainable Partial Replacement for Clay

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