Sawdust as a sustainable additive: Comparative insights into its role in concrete and brick applications

The construction sector significantly impacts the environment through extensive use of natural resources, mainly sand, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable practices to maintain ecological balance and mitigate ecosystem degradation. Researchers are increasingly exploring industrial by-products as alternatives to natural materials to protect the environment. Among these, sawdust, typically considered waste, has emerged as a potential resource for sustainable construction. Utilizing sawdust in concrete and bricks can reduce environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, energy consumption, and contamination while addressing waste disposal issues. Sawdust may be used as a partial substitute for aggregates or cement in concrete. Such utilization benefits from its lightweight properties, improved thermal insulation, and decreased carbon footprint. Despite the merits, however, a detailed appreciation of the real contribution of sawdust-based materials toward reduced natural resource consumption and their more extensive environmental impact remains underdeveloped. This review assesses the most recent studies on the production, properties, and performance of sawdust-based building materials, emphasizing their sustainability for construction purposes. The study is divided into two phases, and the previous findings are compared by identifying limitations, contradictions, and research gaps. It shows technical challenges that must be overcome to maximize sawdust use in eco-friendly building practices. Finally, this paper will attempt to lay down a foundation for sustainable construction by proving the viability of sawdust as a resource-efficient, environmentally friendly material. • This review explores technical gaps in using sawdust in concrete and bricks. • Reviewed research on using sawdust as a sand alternative for green construction. • Environmental impact shows sawdust boosts insulation and cuts building carbon footprint. • Reviewed the reusing sawdust in concrete reduces emissions, waste, and energy use. • The study confirms sawdust’s potential as a green, resource-efficient material.