Title:
Harnessing Tannery Sludge for Sustainable Fly Ash Brick Development
Author(s):
P.V.Premalatha, L.K.Rex, and P.Shahul Hameed
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
361
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
59-70
Keywords:
tannery sludge; radiation effect; construction material; fly ash bricks, cementitious material
DOI:
10.14359/51740607
Date:
3/1/2024
Abstract:
The present study addresses the effective utilization of tannery sludge as a partial replacement of fly ash in brick manufacturing. The main objective of this research is to determine the optimal sludge content that can be incorporated in flyash bricks and thereby to assess the key engineering properties while mitigating potential radiological emissions. Sludge incorporated bricks were cast with the tannery sludge varying from 5% to 30 %. The bricks were tested for its compressive strength, water absorption, efflorescence and radiological tests. Samples were prepared for radiation test with varying percentage of tannery sludge. Various parameters, including internal and external hazard indices, radium equivalent activity (Req), annual effective dose rates, and absorbed dose rates, were thoroughly examined in this research. The results of various tests revealed that the newly formulated fly ash tannery bricks showed significant compressive strength upto 20% replacement. The water absorption and efflorescence were found to be within permissible limit as per BIS IS 3495. The gamma-ray spectrometry measurements of Primordial radionuclide activity concentrations, including Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-K, in sludge bricks were found well within the permissible limits as per UNSCEAR 2000. The radium equivalent activity was found below the permissible limit of 370 Bq/kg. The absorbed gamma dose, radioactivity level index, external hazard index, indoor effective dose rate and outdoor effective dose rate, were all determined to be below the threshold of one (1.0), indicating that they were comfortably within the safety standards recommended. The results claimed the tannery sludge did not pose any serious radiation effect and it can be utilized as an eco-friendly as well as user- friendly construction material.