Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Waste Tuff-Modified Bricks for Sustainable Built Environment: Effect of Firing Temperature and Molding Pressure

The research covers an extensive array of analyses, encompassing physical, microstructural, thermal, mechanical, and durability evaluations, to unravel the properties and characteristics of waste tuff (WT)-based bricks under different firing temperatures and molding pressures. Mechanical testing, specifically compressive strength evaluation, highlighted the significant influence of firing temperature and molding pressure, with increased strength observed at elevated temperatures and pressures. However, assessing the impact of freeze-thaw cycles, it was observed that the freeze-thaw cycles led to a minor reduction in compressive strength, particularly noticeable at lower firing temperatures. The results suggest that the most favorable firing temperature and molding pressure for minimizing linear shrinkage, decreasing apparent porosity and water absorption, achieving a desirable bulk density, optimizing thermal conductivity, and attaining satisfactory compressive strength along with better resistance to freeze-thaw cycles in WT-modified bricks, are 1100(degrees)C and 60 MPa, respectively. The promising findings of this study will help promote the production of bricks using WT, resulting in sustainable management and reduced accumulation of WT.