The use of basalt powder in autoclaved brick as a method of production waste management

The study attempts to use post-production waste in the form of basalt powder for the production of autoclaved bricks, consisting of sand, lime and water. The research results show that basalt powder can be successfully used in their production. The paper compares traditional bricks and bricks made of raw material mass containing 10%, 20% and 30% of basalt powder addition. The study also investigated the influence of the use of variable amounts of water and its influence on the course of processes taking place in bricks. Tests for compressive strength, water absorption, capillary rise, tightness, porosity, density, volumetric density, mercury porosimetry, optical and scanning microscopy were carried out. The best results were obtained for samples with the addition of 10% basalt powder and 10% water. They were characterized by the highest compressive strength, high tightness, moderate water absorption and a high proportion of closed pores in the sample. Nevertheless, all tested samples meet the requirements for wall building materials. The results of scanning microscopy show that all samples have a similar microstructure, C-S-H phases and tobermorite were formed. The tests carried out have shown that by adding waste in the form of basalt powder, it is possible to obtain a lower brick price and better parameters compared to traditional silicates.