Utilization of Iron Ore Waste in Brick Making for the Construction Industry

India is one of the major iron ore producers and exporters in the world. Previous studies have estimated that around 10-15% of the iron ore mined in India is unutilized, and is discarded as waste/tailings due to lack of cost effective technology in extracting low grade ores in the country. The waste thus produced in the form of slimes has remained a major unsolved and challenging task for the Indian iron-ore industry. Many investigators in the past have worked in this regard for comprehensive utilization of such waste so as to reduce its impact on the environment. There is a significant demand for building materials in India and it is therefore imperative to use the mining and mineral wastes in the production of bricks, concrete blocks and any other value added products. In the present paper an attempt has been made to prepare modular bricks using iron ore waste with fly ash and cement as aggregates. Bricks were prepared as per IS standards and tested for its viability for usage in construction industry. The results of the study reveal that a mixture with 70% iron ore waste, 15% cement and 15% fly ash meets the IS standards.