Eco-Friendly Paver Blocks: A Step Toward Sustainable Infrastructure

The construction sector faces multiple challenges in carbon emissions from cement manufacturing and excessive utilization of natural resources as raw materials, which harm the environment. In the current investigation, an alkali-activated binder was used to produce sustainable M35-grade paver blocks and was compared with a conventional paver block. The solid precursors were industrial wastes such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and calcium carbide residue (CCR), which were activated by sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as activators. Compared to conventional paver blocks, the alkali-activated paver blocks demonstrated better durability properties such as decreased water absorption and better abrasion resistance. The compressive strength of the M35-grade alkali-activated paver blocks was found to be 12% higher than the commercially available blocks of the same grade. The other mechanical properties, such as flexure and split tensile strength, also performed better when compared to the commercial paver block used for light-traffic conditions. Water absorption and abrasive wear of the alkali-activated paver blocks were superior to the commercially available paver blocks.