Development and Performance Evaluation of Gaucrete Bricks for Green Building Applications

Abstract

The present work is aimed at the manufacturing and testing of eco friendly Gaucrete Brick from a combination of a balanced mix of Clay and lime silica as a sustainable construction material along with lime material using fresh Cow dung as a raw material. The methodology proposed would include collecting fresh cow dung and mixing of lime silica (in prescribed manner), with clay and the production of low cost, eco friendly type bricks. The main purpose of the study is to analyse the physical, thermal and structural properties of the Gaucrete brick and to compare the performance of the Gaucrete brick with the burnt clay brick which is now being produced in the kiln firing process. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, the designed bricks of Gaucrete can be used as an alternative in the following applications: non-load-bearing walls, rural housing, temporary structures, thermal insulation and as part of a green building project. The results obtained suggest that the suggested Brick Making Method can not only aid in reducing pollutants in the environment and energy consumption but also effectively utilize organic wastes like Cow dung material. The study highlights the significance of ‘Gaucrete bricks' in fulfilling the objective of developing the infrastructure in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country with sustainable method without relying on the traditional fired bricks.