Exploratory Study of Calcium Silicate Bricks as a Potential Material for Building Construction

Bricks are a common building material used for construction due to its strength and longevity. Rapid urbanization and rising cost of building materials has led to the increase demand for brick as filler material in the building industry. Conventional burnt brick puts tremendous pressure on the environment since the burning process results in the production of greenhouse gases. In recent times, the attention has been turned to sustainable and eco-friendly building materials. However, alternatives such as hollow concrete/calcium silicate blocks are now available, which are a bit costly as compared to burnt clay bricks. The calcium silicate brick consists of natural raw materials such as sand, quicklime and water. The Calcium silicate bricks allow natural, energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and agricultural-friendly building materials for sustainable development. Architects often prescribe sand-lime bricks for a building project, because of the bricks' good acoustic insulation, good heat and humidity absorption, as well as excellent fire resistance. This paper examines the case of calcium silicate bricks as filler material and analyses the engineering viability and properties of such brick in building construction. The paper concludes that calcium silicate bricks are a viable alternative to conventional bricks with more intangible benefits attached to them.