Abstract:
The main objective of the use of very fine
red clay ceramic waste in rendering mortars is the
reduction in the primary binder (cement) content
made possible by the potential pozzolanic effect of
this recycled material, with very clear environmental
benefits in the reduction of overly-high energy
consuming cement and economic benefits in the
potential reduction of the cost of mortars. This paper
presents an experimental program where ceramic
waste crushed to very fine particles was used to
partially replace cement in mortars manufacturing,
acting as a secondary binder. A large number of tests
of the most relevant characteristics of various mortars
in which this principle was applied were performed
and compared with the results of the same tests in a
reference rendering mortar with no ceramic fines (and
no reduction of the cement content). The results are
most promising both from a performance-based and
an environmental point of view.