Influence of Bamboo Leaf Ash Blended Cement on the Engineering Properties of Lateritic Bricks

Abstract

Bamboo leaf ash (BLA), which is obtained by the calcinations of bamboo leaves, is highly pozzolanic. This study investigates properties of lateritic soil bricks stabilized with BLA blended cement. The bricks were prepared from a mix ratio of 1: 6 (cement: lateritic soil) as control. The cement constituent in the reference mix was replaced with varying percentages of BLA at 5% interval up to 25% by mass of the cement. Properties of the bricks evaluated were compressive strength, abrasive resistance, and water absorption. The values of the compressive strength range between 4.0 N/mm² and 5.3 N/mm² for 25% BLA content and 5% BLA content, respectively. The results also indicated that the compressive strength decreases with increase in the content of BLA but increases with curing age up to the 56 days tested. The abrasive resistance was noted to improve with increase in the BLA content, while the water absorption values range between 2.39% and 3.95%. The study concluded that lateritic soil brick when stabilized with BLA blended cement, with up to 25% BLA replacing cement, can be used for the construction of load bearing walls.