Abstract
In Egypt, large amounts of limestone dust are accumulated in running limestone quarries every year. Disposal of these wastes is a rapidly growing problem and causes certain serious environmental problems as well as health hazards. Therefore, research for utilizing these disposals is urgently needed. The main aim of this study is to investigate both physical and mechanical properties of brick specimens containing combinations of limestone dust and small amount of Portland cement as a binder for producing house building brick. Limestone dust and cement were mixed, humidified and molded by two methods, manual method and mechanical molding method. After demolding, the produced specimens were dried in air at room temperature for 28 days. The obtained values of water absorption, bulk density, slake durability index and compressive strength satisfy the Egyptian standard of fired clay building units for non-load bearing walls. The test results indicate that brick specimens contain 14 % cement which satisfy the requirements of building of non-load bearing walls in Egypt. The process undertaken can easily be applied in the working Egyptian brick plants using semi mechanization system. The positive use of these wastes converts them into useful products, saving natural resources and can alleviate the disposal and environmental problems.