Mechanical properties of polymer concrete with waste brick as coarse aggregate

Abstract This research presents an experimental program to study the effect of adding brick waste as a replacement for gravel in concrete mixes. Styrene butadiene rubber and super-plasticizer Flocrete PC200 were used at 10% and 1.4% of the cement weight, respectively. The study evaluates key mechanical properties, including flexural, compressive, and tensile strengths, at 28 and 90 days. Seven replacement ratios of brick waste were tested: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60%. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength achieved its optimum strength at a 30% replacement ratio, while the flexural strength reached it maximum value at a 40% replacement ratio. Additionally, it was observed that brick waste reduces the density of polymer concrete, which could potentially lower the dead load of structures and result in cost-effective construction.