Use of Solid Waste from Civil-Works Excavations in Antioquia's Red-Brick Ceramics Industry

Abstract

This article presents a historical overview of brick use in construction, from Jericho 9,000 years ago through pre-Columbian civilizations and the Spanish tradition, before focusing on Antioquia's red-ceramics industry. The author describes the two main raw-material sources (residual and sedimentary clays) and their geological origin in the Altavista Stock and the Carboniferous Tertiary of Antioquia, as well as the historical displacement of Aburrá Valley brickworks toward areas such as San Cristóbal, Altavista, and Itagüí. The text documents the use of solid waste from civil-works excavations as an alternative raw material, representing nearly 20% of the sector's raw materials and diverting about 10,000 tons monthly from waste dumps, while also contributing to landfill structural stability. It also highlights a reduction of more than 62% in particulate-matter emissions achieved through the sector's technological modernization.