Influence of Air-dried Soil Types and Compaction on Eco-bricks Performance Under Uniaxial Compressive Loading

Abstract

Researchers have considered the potential utilization of waste plastics in concrete and mortar production. However, there is paucity of research on the use of waste plastic as an encapsulate in the manufacture of eco-bricks. This paper assesses the characterization of eco-bricks under uniaxial compressive loading with respect to soil materials and compaction. Three compaction layers and three types of soil materials (laterite, sharp sand, and stone dust) were used to produce 81 specimens of eco-bricks. The study reveals that the compressive strength of eco-bricks made with laterite has a positive linear relationship with the number of compaction layers, but eco-bricks that are made with sharp sand and stone dust as filler material have a negative linear relationship with the number of compaction layers. The compressive strength of laterite-filled eco-bricks for one, two and three layers of compaction was 31.92 N/mm², 40.91 N/mm² and 46.79 N/mm², respectively. In comparison, stone dust has a density of 12.18 N/mm², N/mm², and 6.51 N/mm² and sharp sand have a density of 3.38 N/mm², 2.42 N/mm², and 2.17 N/mm². The study revealed that at a high level of compaction, laterite bottle bricks are suitable for use as masonry units for construction of walls, while sharp sand and stone dust bottle bricks are only suitable for use as masonry units at a low level of compaction. It is advised to choose filler materials and compaction layers carefully while manufacturing bottle bricks because the performance of eco-bricks depends significantly on these parameters.