Use of crushed brick aggregate in structural concrete: properties and performance

A comprehensive test program was conducted to investigate upon the use of crushed brick aggregate in structural concrete. In Tripura, a tiny state in the North-eastern India and some places of West Bengal, India and in Bangladesh where there is a scarcity of natural stone aggregates, burnt clay bricks are used as a potential source of coarse aggregate and performance of concrete made with broken brick as coarse aggregate has been found quite extensive and satisfactory (M. A. Rashid et al.). But the current designs for brick aggregate concrete are based on existing nominal mix concrete codes for natural stone aggregates and experience. The presented paper depicts an effort to establish a proper mix design procedure which would satisfy the requirements of using such aggregate whereas the Indian Standard code of recommended guidelines for concrete mix design suggests only the use of naturally occurring crushed or uncrushed aggregates. Based on physical standard and strength criteria, a comparative study was conducted among concrete properties made with brick aggregate in different saturation conditions as well as with natural stone aggregate. Test results were satisfactory for strength criteria and suggestions are proposed to promote the suitability of using crushed brick aggregate in concrete for structural use.