ICSRR – E081 SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICAL CONSTRUCTION USING FLY ASH INTERLOCKING BRICKS THROUGH FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION Chandraprasanth S. Va, G. K. Abinaya Ishwaryab*

The construction industry contributes to economic development but also
causes environmental impacts due to high energy consumption and
resource depletion. Traditional clay brick production requires the removal
of fertile soil and energy-intensive kiln firing, leading to ecological
degradation and carbon emissions. Therefore, sustainable alternatives are
needed for modern construction. This chapter examines fly ash interlocking
bricks as a sustainable masonry material. Fly ash, a by-product of coal
fired thermal power plants, has pozzolanic properties suitable for brick
manufacturing. Its use helps reduce industrial waste and conserve natural
resources. Structural performance is evaluated using Finite Element
Analysis (FEA) in ANSYS Workbench. The analysis focuses on compressive
strength, deformation behavior, and stress distribution. Results indicate
compressive strengths of about 8–10 MPa, demonstrating that fly ash
interlocking bricks can serve as an effective and sustainable construction
material.
Keywords: Fly ash bricks; Interlocking masonry; Sustainable construction;
Finite element analysis; ANSYS simulation; Eco-friendly materials.