Alonso Zúñiga Suárez

Brick is a material that has been widely used in construction sector, however, it has not received the necessary attention in order to improve its performance, which has resulted a general lack of knowledge about its manufacturing processes such as: clay mines over-exploitation, ignorance of mixtures dosages and greenhouse gas emissions from wood burning. This research therefore aims to find a suitable mixture to produce improved bricks (LM) by analysing its mechanical properties compared with handmade bricks (LPA). Besides, this research work uses the “geo-polymerization” process for the preparation of ecological bricks (LE) at slightly high temperatures which gives a significant environmental benefit. In order to achieve the objectives, firstly, samples were characterized from mines by physical, chemical and mineralogical tests and then, it was determined the optimal mixture for LM and LE elaboration by evaluating its optimal factor (OF) according to the diametric compression test...

The calcined clay bricks are the second most used materials in construction that, after the demolition processes, tends to become rubble, generating a negative visual and environmental impact, in addition to the fact that the brick-making process has not been industrialized in Ecuador, for that, its properties are deficient; in this way, the present research aims to study the physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of brick waste from the Southern part of this country, for the elaboration of ecological bricks through geopolymerization processes, using as alkaline activator Sodium Hydroxide at temperature ranged between 90 °C and 200 °C, obtaining an optimal mixture at the combination 12.5 M, 26 wt% Cs, 150 °C. The mechanical properties of bricks as simple compression and flexural strength, respectively, applying the experimental Griffith criterion method by finite element simulation method. These ecological bricks obtained are suitable for use in construction.

Brick as a material is of vital importance in the construction industry, however, the burning processes for its preparation contribute to environmental pollution and the generation of greenhouse gases; for this reason, the present research has as aims to propose quality traditional materials for sustainable buildings through the design of soil-cement mixtures in making brick using raw materials from the amazon region of Ecuador: Centza mine (MC) and Quiringue mine (MQ) and improve the mechanical properties of the brick by incorporating carbon nanotubes, which have been dispersed in two aqueous media, sodium naphthalene sulfonate (NSS) and calcium chloride (CC) in percentages of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. The characterization of the raw material (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical) was of great help. The optimum percentage of cement and water was determined through simple compression tests and soil compaction respectively. The different combinations were tested at indirect traction ...

Brick is a material that has been widely used in construction sector, however, it has not received the necessary attention in order to improve its performance, which has resulted a general lack of knowledge about its manufacturing processes such as: clay mines over-exploitation, ignorance of mixtures dosages and greenhouse gas emissions from wood burning. This research therefore aims to find a suitable mixture to produce improved bricks (LM) by analysing its mechanical properties compared with handmade bricks (LPA). Besides, this research work uses the ?geo-polymerization? process for the preparation of ecological bricks (LE) at slightly high temperatures which gives a significant environmental benefit.In order to achieve the objectives, firstly, samples were characterized from mines by physical, chemical and mineralogical tests and then, it was determined the optimal mixture for LM and LE elaboration by evaluating its optimal factor (OF) according to the diametric compression test....

The construction industry has focused on trying to minimize and control the environmental impacts caused within the process of production and manufacture of fired bricks, for this reason the present research proposes five different alternative mixtures for the elaboration of ecological bricks, four of these based on soil-cement and one obtained through a geopolymerization process, using raw materials from the amazon region and the southern highlands of Ecuador, such as soil from the Centza mine (MC), sand from the Quiringue mine (MQ), organic correctors of husk rice (RH ), peanut shell (PS), natural gypsum (G) from the Malacatos sector and fired brick residues from the same sector. The raw materials were characterized (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical); the soil-cement-based combinations used different percentages of substitution of organic correctors and gypsum, the optimum percentage of water and cement was determined through the compaction test and resistance to simple...