Manufacturing of Reinforced Composite Fly Ash Bricks – Product Analysing and Development Using Value Engineering Techniques

Abstract

The key driver of Indian economy is structured by the infrastructure development. This sector is principally responsible for thrusting India’s overall development and an intensive focus from government for initiating policies that would propose alternate methods and materials for which the end products ensuring high quality, non-degradable, time-bound creation of world class infrastructure in the country. Infrastructure sector includes power, bridges, dams, roads, and urban infrastructure development, which requires huge quantity of bricks, sand, cement, steel, and other infrastructure products. Over the last decade, plenty of research works have been demonstrated to develop fly ash bricks. This resource material has a profitable utilization for manufacture of fly ash bricks and blocks as a supplement to common burnt clay building bricks which encompass the potential of conservation of precious natural resources, improvement in environmental quality, and providing ecological balance, and thereby decreasing pollutants, and “fly ash" has successfully positioned itself as an alternate resource material through manufacturing and processing of fly-ash--based products. Even though eco-friendly fly ash bricks and blocks are extensively used and replaced red clay bricks, there are some difficulties and negative consequences of using fly ash bricks such as lower bonding due to smooth finish, lower mechanical strength, lower cooling effect, reduced crushing strength, low thermal and sound insulation, limitation of size, and they do not absorb heat during cold seasons. This paper demonstrates the application, theories, and methods of value engineering concepts to improve the quality of fly ash brick with low cost. To overcome the above difficulties, limitation, and to enhance the production of fly ash bricks, some naturally abundant waste materials are added as a reinforcement such as plastic crushes, coir, clay paper, quarry dust, white cement, manufactured sand, marble, and granite waste at an appropriate mixture ensuring higher mechanical strength, improved cooling effect, higher bonding between mortgage and larger size fly ash bricks without breakage can be made with high significance.