Comparative Study of Cement and Lime Stabilized Laterite for Compressed Earth Bricks
Keywords:
CEB, Chemical stabilization, Geotechnical properties, Compressive strengthAbstract
The construction technology of compressed earth bricks (CEB) provides a
modern use of laterite for walls and buildings to complement the traditional
adobe method of earth construction. This research aims at comparing the
geotechnical properties of cement and lime stabilized laterite for CEB with
a view of establishing their suitability for residential buildings. Preliminary
investigations were carried out on laterite to ensure it has good engineering
properties. The bricks of the size 295 × 140 × 100mm were mould using
hand operated CINVA-ram machine. They were produced using 2%, 4%,
6%, 8% and 10% replacements of laterite with cement and lime as separate
mixes. A total of 80 bricks were produced and cured for 7, 14 and 28 days.
60 bricks were used for compressive strength while 20 were used for water
absorption. The results of the compressive strength for cement stabilization
show that there is a significant increase in all the percentage replacements
and they all meet the 2.0N/mm2 minimum requirement for manually produced blocks (NBRRI, 2006). But for lime stabilization, the minimum requirement is met from 6% replacement due to lime fixation point. Both cement and lime stabilized CEB are found adequate for building construction in terms of water absorption capacity.
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