ABSTRACT While crucial to global socioeconomic progress, the construction industry is a significant waste generator, presenting substantial environmental challenges. To promote the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW), this study was conducted on the manufacturing of soilless and low-stabilizer stabilized compressed earth blocks (SCEBs), with the aim of producing blocks with high mechanical strength. The study included the characterization of CDW and the determination of its optimal compression parameters for manufacturing SCEBs, using a minimal amount of blast-furnace slag cement as a binder. The resulting SCEBs, containing 4% cement, were then evaluated for their mechanical properties, including compressive strength and diametrical tensile strength, mass loss, pH, carbonation test, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicate that the manufacturing of sustainable blocks using 100% CDW requires the addition of a stabilizer. Considering the scarcity of research on the development of high-performance bricks with high mechanical strength made entirely with residue and a low binder index, the SCEB-4 sample demonstrates that it is possible to manufacture bricks with total replacement of raw earth by CDW and only 4% cement that replace types BTC 20, BTC 40 and, even BTC 60, surpassing their nominal mechanical strength. SCEBs with a reduced blast-furnace slag cement content hold promise for CDW recycling, mitigating its improper disposal, conserving natural resources, and contributing to the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide by reusing carbonated waste.
Morselli et al. (Wed,) studied this question.