Temperature effect on water absorption in an improved periwinkle reinforced cement stabilised mud brick

Studies have been carried out on the water absorption of the improved periwinkle reinforced cement stabilized lateritic bricks. These bricks were produced at different cement to laterite to periwinkle ratio of 1:3:1, 2:3:1, 3:3:1, 3:2:1, 3:1:1, and fired at an elevated temperature of 10000C and 11500C, respectively. From the results, the mechanical properties of hardness, strength (compression) increased with temperature while the water absorption decreased, drastically. It also shows that porosity leads to increase in water absorption with decrease in cement quantity. The decrease in percentage of water absorption was observed to increase with modulus of rupture and compressive strength of the bricks.