Dove, C.A. orcid.org/0000-0002-4958-8840, Bradley, F.F. and Patwardhan, S.V. (2016) Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks. Materials and Structures, 49 (11). pp. 4463-4481. ISSN 1359-5997
Abstract
Unfired clay bricks are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional masonry materials such as fired bricks and concrete blocks but their use is currently limited by their relatively poor mechanical and durability properties. While products like cement and lime are commonly added to earthen materials in an effort to improve their physical performance, these additives can also have a negative influence on the overall environmental impact. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of alginate, a natural and renewable biopolymer obtained from brown seaweeds, as an admixture for unfired clay blocks. A total of 5 different alginates have been investigated and combined with 3 soil compositions to create prototype specimens which have then been characterised and compared in relation to flexural and compressive strength, microstructure, abrasive strength and hygroscopic behaviour. The results demonstrate that improvements in mechanical strength are dependent on the type of alginate used and the composition of the soil. The greatest increase in compressive strength is achieved using an alginate sourced from the Laminaria Hyperborea seaweed and offers a value more than double that of the equivalent control specimen. Increases in the alginate dosage do not necessarily lead to an increase in strength suggesting that there is an optimum concentration at which strength improvement is most effective.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © RILEM 2016. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Materials and Structures. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Biopolymer; Alginate; Seaweed; Clay; Brick; CEB; Adobe; Polysaccharide |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 30 Mar 2016 11:32 |
Last Modified: | 18 Apr 2017 16:43 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1617/s11527-016-0801-0 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Verlag |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1617/s11527-016-0801-0 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:97318 |