Investigation of technological properties of wood cement composite briquettes used in construction

Turkey is a country located in the earthquake zone. Producing light and durable structures for earthquakes will always help keep earthquake risks at the lowest level. Wood material is sustainable and renewable. The sawdust raw material to be used in the study is also the waste generated during lumber production. Especially in these times when global warming and climate change show their effects, it is necessary to evaluate waste materials, not to waste raw material resources and to increase the use of renewable natural resources. The briquette material planned to be produced is lighter, more durable and more environmentally friendly than the briquettes used in the structure thanks to its sawdust content. Within the scope of this thesis, briquettes containing 20%, 30% and 40% sawdust with CEM II Portland Cement were produced based on the TS EN 771-3+A1 standard and some physical and mechanical tests were carried out in accordance with the TS EN 772 series standards. In addition, the carbon footprint of the briquette material produced in the laboratory was calculated considering the literature and its cost was compared with the briquettes on the market. It was also measured whether the sawdust ratio affected the sound transmission speed, and it was determined that the amount of sawdust slowed down the sound speed. The sample containing 20% waste sawdust showed superior properties in many physical and mechanical tests, in the compressive strength test carried out according to the relevant standard, it showed an average value of 5.17 N/mm². The sample containing 30% waste sawdust showed test results close to the construction materials available in the market. The sample containing 40% sawdust is a material for insulation, and has low mechanical and physical resistance properties. As a result, it was found that briquettes containing waste sawdust can be evaluated as load-bearing walls or infill walls depending on the filling material ratio used.