STRENGTH EVALUATION OF GEOPOLYMER BRICKS MIXED WITH PLASTIC INCLUSIONS

Abstract

Coal-powered plants have been the primary energy source in the Philippines, comprising 46.3% of electricity generation. As data states, coal plants produce tons of fly ash as a result of burning coal. This is an opportunity to study the potential uses of fly ash in Construction and innovate ways to develop ecofriendly construction materials in the Philippines. The study aims to develop geopolymer bricks, introduce plastic composites to the sample, measure its physical and mechanical properties, and classify the output using ASTM, DPWH, and IS standards for potential construction use. Methods used to achieve these are SEM & EDS Analysis, Compression Test, and Physical Test, all in line with ASTM standards. The results of the fly ash analysis showed a dominant presence of calcium and silica. Additionally, results of geopolymer bricks with plastic inclusions with a 12M alkali activator show an average of 9.06 MPa compared to 8.45 MPa without plastic composites, which suggests a significance using t-test analysis. Thus, the geopolymer bricks developed by the researchers were evaluated and classified potent ally to be an NW class for ASTM C62, non-load-bearing bricks for DPWH 1046, and second-class bricks for IS 10 7:1957.