Using solid wastes as raw materials in clay bricks

The large quantities of sewage sludge that are currently generated require new alternatives for its recycling and final destination, beyond already known methods in the agriculture and cement industry. The use of this sludge as raw material for the production of structural ceramics, such as clay bricks, may become an interesting alternative, both from an industrial and environmental point of view. This chapter is focused on the use of solid wastes, such as for example sewage sludge or forest residues, to serve as additive raw materials for the production of clay bricks. It is based on our experience with the Ecobrick material and our subsequent research on producing some raw materials from WWTP sludge suitable for the ceramic industry. The chapter shows some formulations of raw materials in ceramic mixtures, their physical properties and to analyze their environmental characteristics. The final purpose is to illustrate the possibility of designing tailor-made ceramics that fulfill custom-physical properties, which are appropriate for particular construction use