Performance assessment of bricks and prisms: Red mud based geopolymer composite

Most of the building construction worldwide use bricks as building material for masonry construction. Use of geopolymer bricks using industrial waste is a sustainable alternative to conventional bricks. The present study assesses the feasibility of using red mud based geopolymer bricks in masonry for structural applications. Granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) was used as a partial replacement of sand in casting bricks. Mechanical property of bricks was evaluated and the results analysed. The optimum percentage of red mud was found to be 30% but the bricks cast with 50% red mud too, exhibited good dry compressive strength of 8.7 MPa with 1:1 binder: aggregate ratio. In general, strength and stiffness of bricks increased when sand was partially replaced with GBFS. Ultimate strength and masonry efficiency of prisms cast with geopolymer brick and cement mortar proved to be better than those cast with geopolymer mortar.