In recent decades, industrial by-products have gained significant attention for their potential as components of more environmentally friendly construction materials. In this context, this paper presents the manufacture of concrete blocks (CB), in which sand was replaced with oven-dried drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS). In addition, CB with DWTS contents ranging from 0% to 30% by weight were exposed to early-age carbonation curing. Experiments were conducted to determine the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and water capillary absorption of CB subjected to normal or early-age carbonation curing. The results indicated that DWTS degraded durability and mechanical properties of CB because of the high-water absorption and high organic content of DWTS. However, early-age carbonation curing was found to improve the overall performance of CB with DWTS, such that the carbonated CB mixtures satisfied the strength requirement of load-bearing blocks. The pH values of CB after carbonation curing increased with increasing content of DWTS. Microstructural analyses showed that the addition of DWTS into CB caused the formation of ettringites because of the presence of alum and gypsum in DWTS, and early-age carbonation curing decomposed these ettringite into calcium carbonates. The results also showed that the production of crystalline CaCO₃ under carbonation had a filling effect that refined the pore sizes. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that utilisation of DWTS in CB offers significant environmental and health benefits via increased greenhouse gas absorption, as well as reduced DWTS disposal in landfills and unsustainable sand extraction.

在最近的几十年中，工业副产品作为更环保建筑材料的组件的潜力而受到了广泛关注。在此背景下，本文介绍了混凝土砌块（CB）的制造，其中用烘干的饮用水处理污泥（DWTS）代替了沙子。此外，DWTS含量为0％至30％（重量）的CB暴露于早期碳化作用下。进行实验以确定经受正常或早期碳化固化的CB的抗压强度，劈裂抗张强度和水毛细管吸收。结果表明，由于DWTS的高吸水率和高有机含量，DWTS降低了CB的耐久性和机械性能。然而，发现早期的碳酸化固化可以改善DWTS的CB的整体性能，从而使碳酸化的CB混合物满足承重砌块的强度要求。碳化固化后CB的pH值随DWTS含量的增加而增加。微观结构分析表明，由于DWTS中存在明矾和石膏，将DWTS添加到CB中会导致钙矾石的形成，并且早期碳酸化固化将这些钙矾石分解为碳酸钙。结果还表明，结晶碳酸钙的产生 微观结构分析表明，由于DWTS中存在明矾和石膏，将DWTS添加到CB中会导致钙矾石的形成，并且早期碳酸化固化将这些钙矾石分解为碳酸钙。结果还表明，结晶碳酸钙的产生 微观结构分析表明，由于DWTS中存在明矾和石膏，将DWTS添加到CB中会导致钙矾石的形成，并且早期碳酸化固化将这些钙矾石分解为碳酸钙。结果还表明，结晶碳酸钙的产生碳化下的₃具有填充作用，细化了孔径。因此，这项研究的结果表明，通过增加温室气体的吸收，减少垃圾填埋场中的DWTS处置和不可持续的采砂，在CB中利用DWTS具有明显的环境和健康益处。