Environmental Durability of Soil-Cement Block Incorporated with Ornamental Stone Waste

Abstract

The recycling of industrial wastes such as those produced during processing of ornamental stones is a relevant procedure to mitigate the possibility of environmental pollution. In the present work the durability of soil-cement blocks incorporated with an ornamental granite stone waste was investigated by means of water immersion durability tests as indicated by the Brazilian norm. Preliminarily, the granite waste was characterized by its chemical composition, particle size and X-ray diffraction. The incorporation was carried out in a mixture with limestone, sand, water and cement. After the durability tests, the soil-cement block were tested for the change in strength and water absorption. The results showed a loss in strength for 90 days of immersion cycles together with a relatively small gain in water absorption. The block composition with 60% of waste was able to attend the norm by apparently developing less porosity than the 65% waste incorporated block.