STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF BRICK WASTE STRENGTH USING TAGUCHI ANALYSIS
Kavitha V.1, Jyothi T.K.2, Girisha H.N.3, Bharathi Ganesh4, Jayasimha N.5, Sujata Timmanaikar6
1Department of Civil Engineering, Government Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
2Department of Civil Engineering, KR Pet Krishna Government Engineering College, KR Pet, Karnataka, India
3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government Engineering College, Ramanagara, Karnataka, India
4Department of Civil Engineering, Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
5Department of Civil Engineering, Government Engineering College, Ramanagara, Karnataka, India
6Government Engineering College, Department of Mathematics, Haveri, Karnataka, India
Abstract: The growing need for low-carbon masonry materials has led to studies on using construction waste and associated materials as additional cementitious materials. In this study, Brick Waste Powder (BW) is used as a partial substitute for cement paste (cement + water) in masonry mortar. The goal is to enhance sustainability without reducing structural integrity. The optimisation of the 3 key parameters, namely water-to-cement ratio (W/C) of 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9, BW replacement level (RL) of 10%, 20%, and 30%, and the curing period (CP) of 7, 28, and 90 days, is carried out using the Taguchi Technique of analysis. L9 orthogonal array is employed to optimise these parameters. The workability and compressive strength of all mixtures are evaluated against the control mortar of the MM5 grade standard (≥6 MPa), which is normally preferred for masonry applications. All BW-modified mortars satisfied or surpassed the required strength criteria, indicating that BW is an effective cementitious modifier. To clarify the influence of parameters, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the CP is the most significant factor, accounting for 67.5% of the variation in strength development, followed sequentially by RL and W/C. Furthermore, the Taguchi method indicated that a 0.7 W/C, a 20% BW RL, and a 90-day CP are optimal. This specific combination of parameters provides the highest compressive strength satisfying the required workability. The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and EDAX (Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis) findings confirmed the results obtained from optimisation through the Taguchi technique, demonstrating enhanced packing density and increased formation of C–S–H gel phases at appropriate RL. The findings show that BW can effectively replace up to 20% of the cement paste in masonry mortar without compromising its strength or performance. The use of the cement paste replacement method is a practical solution for developing cost-effective, circular-economy-oriented, and carbon-efficient binder systems in construction.
Keywords: Brick waste, paste replacement method, Taguchi optimisation, masonry mortar, SEM, EDAX.
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 04 2026: 48 – 62