Abstract:
This study examines the possibility for enhancing the use of stone cutting sludge waste in the production of building bricks and
terrazzo tiles, which would reduce both the environmental impact and the production costs. Stone cutting wastes in the form
of sludge is currently generated at several factories in Jordan. At the Samara factory, incorporation of the sludge in the batch
formulations of bricks and terrazzo tiles was examined. The physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the sludge
were analyzed to identify the major components. Results indicated that the sludge generated from stone cutting could be used
in producing concrete bricks. Mixtures of aggregates with added amounts of sludge were used successfully to produce non-load
bearing bricks. Sludge was also used to produce terrazzo tiles and the results indicate that the transverse strength, water absorption
and tile measurements, for all the taken samples, comply with Jordanian standards. The transverse strength decreased while
water absorption increased as the sludge ratio increased.