DEVELOPMENT OF PAVING TILES COMPOUNDED WITH PULVERIZED CORNCOB CHARCOAL

Abstract

The current trend all over the world is to minimize environmental pollution through wastes recycling. Thus, paving tiles’ specimens of dimensions 198mm x 98mm x 56mm were produced in the laboratory using various mix ratios of granite particles and pulverized corncob charcoal. Wood charcoal dust was used as control and cement as binder. Batching was by volume and a constant water/cement ratio of 0.7 was used. The tiles’ physical and mechanical properties were determined. Results obtained showed that as the percentage of pulverized corncob charcoal in the mixture aggregate increases, the flexural strength, compressive strength and bulk density of the tiles decreases, while a progressive increase was experienced in water absorption for 20% and 15% cement addition. Significant similarities were observed in the properties of experimental tiles produced with addition of pulverized corncob charcoal and those with addition of wood charcoal dust which was used as control. 30% and 10% addition of pulverized corncob charcoal for 20% and 15% cement content tiles respectively were recommended. Recycling of corncob as a constituent material of paving tiles is feasible.