Calcined Clay as Construction Material: A Review (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The use of clay to produce stone material by heating at high temperatures dates back to the first people. The calcined clay samples have heating temperatures from 600°C to 1,100°C and good prospects for mechanical strength as aggregates as well as high pozzolanic activity, making them an interesting cementitious product. The use of ACCA (Artificial Calcined Clay Aggregate) is beneficial for being an alternative to crushed stone in remote places where transportation makes any work very expensive, such as the north of Brazil, and for providing a sustainable solution to waste from iron mining, also known as red mud. The correct characterization, using in-depth knowledge of the minerals involved and the physical and chemical characteristics of calcined clay and iron ore, allows us to study the feasibility of applying these compounds in road construction according to pavement mechanics. Calcined clay can be used in different parts of the pavement, and its application as Artificial Calcined Clay Aggregate (ACCA) is discussed here. The literature review gathers studies and research conducted on the correct characterization of calcined clay, and details on the properties achieved during calcination, in addition to presenting a production methodology and its research history.