1. AggreBind IPRO 306: Not Just Another Brick in the Wall
© 2012 Illinois Institute of Technology

4. From Roads to Bricks…

5. 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."

6. 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.

7. Team Structure Instructor Research Background Research
Real World Feasibility
Fabrication
Brick Form Module
Wide Range of Brick Tests
Documentation
Document Process, Develop Final Presentation

8. Research Team

9. Fabrication Team

10. Documentation Team

11. Timeline 7/27 IPRO Day/ Presentation 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

12. Beauty
Durability
Versatility

13. Sun baked
Sun Baking

14. Fire Kiln

15. Concrete Bricks

16. Rock What is Portland Cement? 1450oC + Limestone + Clay + Additives
8% of world’s CO2 emissions
Up to 40% world energy use
Rock

17. Plastic What is AggreBind? Based on Styrene + Acrylic
Cross-linked organic polymer
Low heat for production
Plastic

18. ? AggreBind in the US Asia and Pacific Region Middle East North Africa
South America
Sub Saharan Africa

19. From Roads to Bricks…
Durable, Economical, & Environmentally Friendly

20. The “Competition” AggreBind Brick Goals Portland Cement Reality
+ Economical*
+ Environmentally friendly
+ Local Materials
+ Waterproof
+ Versatile
Portland Cement Reality
Safety Issues
- Labor + transportation costs
- Environmental issues
- Fuel consumption
- Release CO2
*See upcoming slide for details

21. Competitive Pricing $1.37 $1.42 $1.40 AGGREBIND BLOCK
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

22. Lumenhaus Project 490 AMUs x $1.37 = $671.30
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

24. Goals of Production AggreBind as an effective construction binder
Develop an effective testing method
Compare brick strength against competitors

25. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Standards
The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Methods for the testing of construction materials
Widely accepted standards

26. Testing Information Compressive Strength Very common test
Good indication material strength

27. Testing Information Specification used: ASTM C 216
Courtesy of calstarproducts.com
Specification used: ASTM C 216
Testing Method: ASTM C 67

28. Brick Form

29. Problems Bricks not releasing from mold properly Removable side
Holes for gripping sleeve
Compression lines forming in the brick when finished
Scoring between layers

30. Major Materials Tested
Materials Used
Concrete: Cement + Water + Sand + Crushed Rock
AggreBind Brick: AggreBind + Water + ?
Major Materials Tested
Sand
Crushed Rock
Limestone
Recycled Concrete

31. Creation Process Material is mixed (AggreBind & Aggregate)
Mixture placed in mold
Mold is compressed multiple times
Masonry unit removed from mold
Masonry unit is documented
Masonry unit is left to cure/dry
After 28 days, unit is tested
Arbor Press
Bricks Ready for Storage

32. 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

33. Final Results Findings: More limestone + small rock = stronger bricks
Uneven top surface caused premature failure

34. Final Results Findings: 28 day cure time is necessary
More research to develop techniques for a faster cure

35. Final Results AggreBind Brick: ~ 600 psi Comparison of Strength
Class 1 Loadbearing Clay Brick:
1,000 psi minimum
Class A Engineered Clay Brick:
10,000 psi minimum
Concrete Facing Brick:
3,000 psi minimum

36. 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

37. Future IPROs Extra AMUs Created for Testing
Linear Scale for Manual Testing

38. 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

39. Questions?