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Abstract
Bricks are among one of the most commonly used and cheapest construction material and its demand is increasing every day. Manufacture of conventional bricks leads to depletion of natural resources such as red earth, clay etc. and causes several environmental problems. Therefore, alternative eco-friendly materials are required for the manufacture of bricks. In India, every year about 170 million tones fly ash is produced in thermal power plants and only 60% of this is effectively utilized and the rest is dumped as landfill. The dumping of these wastes to landfill causes severe environmental issues such as environmental pollution, contamination of ground water etc. Large quantities of bio-solids are produced in sewage treatment plants all over the world and proper disposal of these waste is a big environmental crisis. Thus, alternative, low cost and sustainable technologies are required to handle these wastes effectively.In this study an attempt has been made to produce eco-friendly bricks by using alkali activated fly ash, clay and bio-solid. The variables considered are, ingredient proportion, liquid activator to fly ash ratio, sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio, molarity of sodium hydroxide and nature of curing. Test results revealed that the compressive strength, water absorption and efflorescence of geopolymer bricks conforms to IS specifications of conventional bricks. Therefore, geopolymer bricks can be considered as a better alternative to conventional bricks.