Abstract
Soil-cement blocks also known as compressed earth blocks or stabilised mud blocks are used for load bearing masonry. The paper focuses on the study of various characteristics of soil-cement blocks using highly sandy soils through an experimental investigation. Characteristics of soilcement blocks having three different cement contents (6%, 8% and 12%) have been examined. Paper reports results of influence of cement content on compressive strength, tensile strength, the initial rate of absorption (IRA), water absorption, rate of water absorption, surface porosity and pore size, stress-strain relationships and elastic properties of soil-cement blocks. The results indicate that there is 2.5 times increase in strength for doubling of cement content from 6%. IRA decreases drastically with the increase in cement content of the block. Saturated water content of the blocks is not sensitive to cement content, whereas rate of moisture absorption greatly depends on the cement content. Pore size decreases with increase in cement content of block, whereas surface porosity is independent of the cement content. Soil-cement block modulus varies between 2000 and 6000MPa. Elastic modulus increases by 2.5 times when the cement content is increased from 6 to 8%, whereas the increase in modulus is marginal when cement content goes from 8 to 12%.
Résumé
Les blocs de terre et ciment, aussi connus comme blocs de terre ou blocks de boue stabilisée, sont utilisés dans les structures de maçonnerie portante. L'article présente, à travers une recherche expérimentale, une étude des différentes caractéristiques des mortiers de terre et ciment utilisant des sols fortement sablonneux. Les caractéristiques de blocs de terre et ciment de trois différentes teneurs en ciment (6%, 8% et 12%) ont été examinés. L'article rend compte des résultats de l'influence de la teneur en ciment sur la résistance à la compression, la résistance en tension, le taux initial d'absorption, l'absorption d'eau, le taux d'absorption d'eau, la porosité de la surface et la taille des pores ainsi que les relations de contrainte-déformation et les propriétés élastiques des blocs de terre et ciment. Les résultats indiquent une augmentation de 2,5 fois de la résistance en doublant la teneur en ciment à partir de 6%. Le taux initial d'absorption baisse considérablement avec l'augmentation de la teneur en ciment du bloc. La teneur en eau du sol saturé des blocs n'est pas sensible à la teneur en ciment, alors que le taux d'absorption de l'humidité dépend largement de la teneur en ciment. La taille des pores baisse en fonction de l'augmentation de la teneur en ciment du bloc, tandis que la porosité de la surface est indépendante de la teneur en ciment. Le module des blocs de terre et ciment varie entre 2000 et 6000 MPa. L'augmentation du module d'élasticité est de 2,5 fois lorsque l'on augmente la teneur en ciment de 6 à 8% alors qu'elle reste marginale lorsque l'on augmente la teneur en ciment de 8 à 12%.
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Venkatarama Reddy, B.V., Gupta, A. Characteristics of soil-cement blocks using highly sandy soils. Mat. Struct. 38, 651–658 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481596
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481596