Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Batu bata merah merupakan material bangunan yang banyak digunakan karena ketersediaan bahan baku yang melimpah dan biaya produksi yang relatif rendah. Akan tetapi, proses produksi batu bata rakyat yang masih bersifat tradisional sering mengakibatkan variasi kualitas, terutama pada sifat mekanik dan fisik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis kualitas batu bata rakyat yang diproduksi di Aceh Besar berdasarkan parameter kuat tekan, kuat lentur, dan densitas, serta mengevaluasi kesesuaiannya terhadap standar SNI, dan standar pengujian yang digunakan adalah ASTM C67. Sampel batu bata diperoleh dari lima pabrik produksi dengan variasi posisi di dalam tungku pembakaran, yaitu bagian bawah, tengah, atas, samping kanan, dan samping kiri. Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa nilai kuat tekan batu bata berada pada rentang 2,52–9,21 MPa, kuat lentur 1,11–2,10 MPa, dan densitas 1,55–1,82 g/cm³. Nilai tertinggi umumnya diperoleh pada batu bata dari bagian bawah tungku. Variasi hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa distribusi panas selama proses pembakaran berpengaruh signifikan terhadap tingkat kepadatan dan kekuatan batu bata. Secara umum, sebagian batu bata rakyat telah memenuhi persyaratan SNI, namun peningkatan pemerataan pembakaran masih diperlukan untuk memperoleh kualitas yang lebih seragam dan andal.

Red clay bricks are widely used as construction materials due to the abundant availability of raw materials and relatively low production costs. However, traditional brick-making processes commonly employed by local producers often result in variations in quality, particularly in mechanical and physical properties. This study aims to analyze the quality of locally produced clay bricks in Aceh Besar based on compressive strength, flexural strength, and density, as well as to evaluate their conformity with Indonesian National Standards (SNI), using ASTM C67 as the testing standard. Brick samples were collected from five production facilities with variations in their positions within the firing kiln, namely the bottom, middle, top, right side, and left side. The test results indicate that the compressive strength of the bricks ranges from 2.52 to 9.21 MPa, flexural strength from 1.11 to 2.10 MPa, and density from 1.55 to 1.82 g/cm³. The highest values were generally obtained from bricks located at the bottom of the kiln. These variations demonstrate that heat distribution during the firing process significantly affects the density and strength of the bricks. Overall, some locally produced bricks meet the SNI requirements; however, improvements in firing uniformity are still necessary to achieve more consistent and reliable brick quality.