Gaucrete Bricks as an Eco-Friendly Solution for Sustainable Housing: Environmental Assessment and Potential for Green Construction

Abstract

This study develops and evaluates Gaucrete bricks produced from fresh cow dung, clay (mud), and a lime–silica stabilizing system as an unfired, low-carbon construction material. The upgraded methodology combines material characterization, controlled moulding and natural curing with standardized dimensional, compressive-strength, water-absorption, efflorescence, density, durability and thermal-conductivity testing. For comparison, conventional kiln-fired clay bricks are assessed using Indian Standard (IS) requirements and production-based emission factors. The study also introduces a quantitative environmental assessment using published Indian brick-kiln inventories and pollution-control-board data. The proposed process removes the kiln-firing stage, thereby avoiding direct combustion emissions at the brick-manufacturing stage, while also converting an agricultural organic waste stream into a construction input. Importantly, the manuscript distinguishes experimentally measured values from external benchmark data; no numerical Gaucrete result is invented where the original manuscript did not report a laboratory measurement. The intended applications are non-load-bearing walls, rural housing, partition walls, temporary structures and green-building projects, subject to validation of strength, moisture resistance, durability and biosafety.