Developing fired bricks from drinking water sludge and fly ash using cow dung and rice husk biomass wastes as internal fuel

Abstract

The improper disposal of biomass waste has remained a persistent environmental and public health challenge due to inadequate disposal practices and governance gaps. This study has investigated a sustainable recycling approach by incorporating biomass waste with other industrial by-products, such as drinking water sludge and fly ash, in the production of fired bricks. This research has examined the utilization of cow dung and rice husk as internal fuels, combined with varying proportions of two main wastes—drinking water sludge and fly ash. The results have indicated that the highest compressive strength achieved has been 5.67 MPa, with bricks utilizing cow dung as an internal fuel having demonstrated marginally better performance compared to those using rice husk. The findings have highlighted the viability of producing non-load-bearing bricks using these waste materials, suitable for applications such as boundary walls, jogging tracks, temporary shelters, and similar structures. This study has underscored the potential for waste valorization in the brickmaking industry, thereby has contributed to waste management solutions and has promoted environmentally sustainable construction practices