Utilization of Waste Tiles in Stabilization of Black Cotton Clay Bricks

Bricks are one of the most widely used materials in building construction; however, the increasing demand for building materials and the growing volume of construction and demolition waste have prompted the search for alternative, sustainable materials. Utilizing industrial waste, particularly in the production of sand bricks, presents a significant opportunity for enhancing sustainability in the construction sector. In this context, waste tiles, which are commonly discarded with minimal economic value, have gained attention as a potential additive for stabilizing clay bricks, which typically exhibit high expansion and contraction. This study explores the use of ground waste tile powder as an additive to black cotton soil to produce stabilized brick specimens. The waste tiles were collected, ground into powder using a Loss Angelis grinder, and sieved through a 75-micron BS sieve. The soil was then mixed with the waste tile powder at 5%, 10%, and 15% replacement levels, and bricks of 215 x 103 x 80 mm dimensions were cast for experimentation. Laboratory investigations were conducted to characterize the black cotton soil in terms of sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, water absorption, specific gravity, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and shear strength tests, both for stabilized and non-stabilized soils. The results of the compressive strength tests indicated that the addition of waste tile powder significantly enhanced the compressive strength of the bricks. The compressive strength increased with the percentage of waste tile powder, with the highest increase observed at 15% addition (3.17 N/mm²) compared to the control (0%) with a compressive strength of 2.79 N/mm² at 21 days of air curing. The study concludes that waste tiles, when used as an additive in the production of stabilized black cotton clay bricks, offer significant improvements in strength and have the potential to contribute to sustainable practices in the civil and construction industries.