IPRO 306:
AggreBind
Not Just Another Brick in the Wall
www.facebook.com/IPRO306
© 2012 Illinois Institute of Technology
From Roads to Bricks…
Mission Statement
“IPRO 306 will explore Aggrebind, a water based
polymer, as a binder of local soils for the making of
masonry units-- also referred to as Aggrebind
Masonry Units (AMUs) as an alternative to Concrete
Masonry Units (CMUs). We will experiment with a
variety of soil and polymer mixes to create a series of
a x b x c AMUs with 28 day and 14 day cures times
prior to being structurally tested in the IIT Materials
Testing Lab. Our objective is to determine the market
/ commercial viability of Aggrebind as a masonry
making media."
Goals
• Create a cohesive work environment for teamwork,
new ideas, and collaboration between students of different
disciplines.
• Explore AggreBind through experimentation using a variety of
soil and polymer mixes.
• Create a series of testable bricks
• Compare these results with current competitive products.
• Suggest applications of this material based on our results.
• Present findings in a clear and concise manner.
Team Structure
Instructor
Research
Background
Research
Fabrication
Real World
Feasibility
Brick Form
Module
Wide Range of
Brick Tests
Documentation
Document
Process,
Develop Final
Presentation
Research Team
Fabrication Team
Documentation Team
Timeline
6/20
First brick making session
6/28
Midterm Presentation
7/3
Agree upon layout for IPRO day presentation
7/5
Begin creating educational materials for next IPRO
7/9
14 day brick making
7/12
Video shoot
7/16
7 day brick making, Draft of video
7/19
Grainger Presentation, Final video completed, Final boards in progress
7/24
IPRO day rehearsal, Final PowerPoint
7/26
Prep and rehearse for IPRO day
7/27
IPRO Day/ Presentation
Beauty
Durability
Versatility
Sun baked
Sun Baking
Fire Kiln
Concrete Bricks
What is Portland Cement?
o
•1450 C + Limestone + Clay + Additives
•8% of world’s CO2 emissions
•Up to 40% world energy use
Rock
What is AggreBind?
•Based on Styrene + Acrylic
•Cross-linked organic polymer
•Low heat for production
Plastic
AggreBind in the US
?
Asia and Pacific Region
Middle East
North Africa
South America
Sub Saharan Africa
From Roads to Bricks…
Durable, Economical, & Environmentally Friendly
The “Competition”
AggreBind Brick Goals
+ Economical*
Portland Cement Reality
- Safety Issues
+ Environmentally friendly
- Labor + transportation costs
+ Local Materials
- Environmental issues
+ Waterproof
- Fuel consumption
+ Versatile
- Release CO2
*See upcoming
slide for details
Competitive Pricing
AGGREBIND BLOCK
$1.37
manufacturer's price of $3.50 per liter of
AggreBind vs. current manufacturer's price of
$5.00 per liter of AggreBind
CONCRETE MASONRY UNIT (CMU)
$1.42
Colored, water treated
CALSTAR BLOCK
$1.40
Lumenhaus Project
22 FT x 7.5 FT x 10 FT
Total Square Footage:165 sq.ft.
8” x 8” x 16” Block= ~490 blocks for facade
490 AMUs x $1.37 = $671.30
490 CMUs x $1.42 = $671.30
490 Calstar Blocks x $1.37 = $671.30
Goals of Production
• AggreBind as an effective construction binder
• Develop an effective testing method
• Compare brick strength against competitors
Standards
The American Society of
Testing and Materials
(ASTM)
• Methods for the testing of
construction materials
• Widely accepted standards
Testing Information
Compressive Strength
• Very common test
• Good indication
material strength
Testing Information
Courtesy of calstarproducts.com
•
Specification used: ASTM C 216
•
Testing Method: ASTM C 67
Brick Form
Problems
Bricks not releasing from mold
properly
• Removable side
• Holes for gripping sleeve
Compression lines forming in the
brick when finished
• Scoring between layers
Materials Used
Concrete: Cement + Water + Sand + Crushed Rock
AggreBind Brick: AggreBind + Water + ?
Sand
Limestone
Major
Materials
Tested
Crushed Rock
Recycled Concrete
Creation Process
Material is mixed
(AggreBind & Aggregate)
Mixture placed in mold
Mold is compressed multiple times
Arbor Press
Masonry unit removed from mold
Masonry unit is documented
Masonry unit is left to cure/dry
After 28 days, unit is tested
Bricks Ready for Storage
Testing
Bricks created for a 28 day – 14 day – 7 day test
Combinations include:
50% Limestone/50% Sand
70% Limestone/30% Sand
50% Limestone/25% Sand/25% Crushed Rock
33% Limestone/33% Sand/33% Crushed Rock
Final Results
Findings:
More limestone + small rock = stronger bricks
Uneven top surface caused premature failure
Final Results
Findings:
28 day cure time is necessary
More research to develop techniques for a faster cure
Final Results
Comparison of Strength
AggreBind Brick:
~ 600 psi
Class 1 Loadbearing Clay
Brick:
Class A Engineered Clay
Brick:
Concrete Facing Brick:
1,000 psi minimum
10,000 psi minimum
3,000 psi minimum
Completion of Goals
• Create a cohesive work environment
• Effective sub-teams
• Explore AggreBind
• Aggregates and combinations
• Create a series of testable bricks
• ASTM Standards
• Compare these results
• Calstar blocks and typical CMUs
• Suggest applications
• Case Study/ Housing facades
• Present findings
Future IPROs
Extra AMUs
Created for Testing
Linear Scale for
Manual Testing
Future IPROs
• Testing additional bricks
• Materials
• Amounts of Aggrebind
• Finishing?
• Applications in other locations
• Urban vs. Rural
• Different local materials
• Underwater
• Other construction mediums
• Mortar
• Finishing
• Pavers
Questions?