Analysis of the coffee peel application over the soil-cement bricks properties

Abstract

The development materials that use less polluting manufacturing techniques and can be manufactured from agricultural and / or industrial waste is an increasingly explored field of research. The objective of the present work was to study the effects of the coffee peel particles (Coffea arabica L.) incorporation in partial replacement of the cement, on the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of bricks, at different ages. For this purpose, soil was corrected with sand, Portland cement type CP II F-32 and coffee peel particles. After the initial percentage of cement in the mixture was defined as 10%, coffee peels were added in relation to cement, equal to 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The bricks were submitted to simple compression tests, at the ages of 14, 28 and 56 days, thermal insulation at 28 days. The increase in peel content caused increases in water absorption, and reduction of compressive strength and apparent specific dry mass. The interaction between the shell content and the age of the specimens was significant only for the variable resistance to compression. The thermal conductivity found for the material showed its insulating potential, with values below those determined for ceramic bricks. In general, it can be concluded that the material produced did not fit in the normative requirements for soil-cement bricks, however, the mechanical characteristics found in there, indicate the possibility of use in rustic constructions, such as those ones made with adobe bricks.