Production of Geopolymeric Bricks and Mortar from the Indigenous Soil of the Village of Toutakhaneh to Protect the Organic Architectural Fabric

The indigenous architecture of each region is derived from the facilities provided by the environment. By using new methods, local materials can be processed and used in construction in the same area. The soil of Toutakhaneh village has a high potential for producing bricks and geopolymer mortar. The advantage of geopolymer bricks and mortars is that while they cost less to produce, they do not need to be baked in a high-temperature oven and therefore play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases.

In this study, the mixing design of geopolymer binder production based on Toutakhaneh red soil to produce construction materials such as bricks has been evaluated. For this purpose, raw materials including Toutakhaneh red soil as aluminosilicate, aggregate passing through standard sieve No. 8 as filler, and an alkaline activating solution containing industrial glass water and sodium hydroxide solution with different concentrations were used.

According to the results, the compressive strength and water absorption percentage are very optimal for geopolymer bricks. Therefore, geopolymer bricks produced from Toutakhaneh red soil have the characteristics of low production cost, lower energy consumption, and minimal production of carbon dioxide. Also, the strength of geopolymer bricks is about 362.55% higher than clay bricks. The apparent similarity of geopolymer mortar with ordinary mortar is 83%.  

The results of this study can be used in the field of restoration of worn texture, mortar for concrete structures, renovation, and restoration of historic and worn buildings, etc.