Development of light weight building bricks using coconut pith

The effect of the addition of coconut pith on the various properties of building bricks is discussed and compared with standard red burnt building bricks. It was found that finer fraction (-30 mesh B.S. Sieve fraction) coconut pith which is more spherical in shaper could be added in greater quantities and had less adverse effect on the physical properties than the fibrous shape larger size coconut pith (-16 + 30 mesh B.S. Sieve fraction). By incorporation of 20 per cent (by weight) coconut pith in the building bricks based on plastic clay, the bulk density and compressive strength of the finished products obtained are 1.26 g/cc and 39.5 kg/cm2 at 900-degrees-C respectively for (-16 + 30)mesh sieve fraction, and 1.26 g/cc and 43.2 kg/cm2 at 900-degrees-C respectively for -30 mesh sieve fraction which are still higher than the minimum values 35 kg/cm2 recommended in ISI specification of building bricks. Some advantages and difficulties of incorporation of coconut pith in the building bricks are also discussed. The empirical equation for determining the strength of porous materials proposed by Ryshkewitch-Duckworth has been fitted for such bricks for different sizes of pith