Evaluation of the feasibility of producing soil-cement bricks with the incorporation of sludge from water treatment plants.

• Grant number: 24/06826-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Basic Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Fabiana Alves Fiore Pinto
• Grantee: Adebisi Ayodeji Jabar
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José dos Campos. Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT)
• Associated research grant: 20/12230-4 - Determination of technological requirements for adequation of the physical and chemical properties of water treatment plant sludge, for beneficial use in earth work, AP.PITE

Abstract

Universal public access to safe water is a goal of sustainable development. Generally, collected water must be treated to make it safe for human consumption. The water treatment process generates waste, called sludge from water treatment plants (WTPS), which is discharged untreated into watercourses. The valorization of this waste through its integration in the production cycle has been studied, and among the beneficial uses are those aimed at replacing raw materials for the manufacture of products for the construction sector. In this context, this project has been proposed with the aim of evaluating the feasibility of producing soil-cement bricks with the incorporation of WTPS. This study includes the characterization of the raw materials, the production of bricks with the addition of different percentages of aluminum and iron sludge, and the performance of laboratory tests to prove the mechanical strength of the products. The experimental research will be carried out in the institutional laboratories of Unesp, in the framework of the research project entitled "Determination of the technological requirements for the adaptation of the physical and chemical properties of sludge from water treatment plants for beneficial use in geotechnical works". Among the expected results of this research are the extension of the knowledge on the substitution of soils by WTPS; the identification of the potential use of soil-cement-WTPS blocks for safe use in residential construction.