Compressed
Stabilized Earth
blocks
Why alternative building
materials?
High demand for housing
Increased use of conventional
building materials
Over-exploitation of natural
resources such as sand, clay and
timber
Environmental problems due to
extensive use of conventional building
materials
Clay mining has led to
lowering of water table
Degradation of fertility
Breeding of mosquitoes
Sand mining has led to
Salt water intrusion
Loss of lands to ever-widening rivers
Coral mining has resulted
Coastal erosion
Extensive timber usage
Diminishing forest cover
Alternative building materials and
structural systems under
discussion
Cement stabilised soil blocks as a
walling material
Precast reinforced concrete slab
system
Cement stabilised soil blocks
Manufacturing
Soil used laterite soil (gravel, sand,
silt and clay)
Strength increase by stabilising
Stabilisation
Soil stabilisation
Physical stabilisation
By sieving the soil
Mechanical stabilisation
By compaction
Chemical stabilisation
By adding a chemical agent
Block sizes used
240 mm x 240 mm x 90 mm load
bearing walls
290 mm x 140 mm x 90 mm Single
storey or non- load bearing walls
Block height indicates the compaction
effort
Compaction effort depends on block
making machine
Cinva ram: 1.5
Auram Press 3000: 1.6- 1.9
Hydraulically operated machines: 1.8 or more
Block making machine Auram Press 3000
Strength characteristics
Compressive strength of blocks
Compressive strength of wall panels
Bending strength of blocks
(for quality controlling purposes)
Wall panel casting
Wall panels used for testing
Wall panel testing
Panel strength vs. block strength for different percentages of cement with cured
290 mm x 140 mm x 90 mm blocks (28 day strengths)
Cement
%
Average
compressive
strength of
blocks
(N/mm2)
Average
compressive
strength of panels
(N/mm2)
Characteristic
compressive
strength of panels
(N/mm2)
Compres
sive
stress at
1st crack
N/mm2
Average
Bending
strength
of blocks
N/mm2
20
2
4
6
8
1.36
2.49
3.15
4.30
1.27
0.964
1.11
1.545
1.053
0.803
0.916
1.287
1.07
0.476
0.648
1.15
0.116
0.184
0.208
0.327
25
2
4
6
8
1.84
2.62
2.94
4.00
0.94
1.225
1.183
1.694
0.783
1.021
0.986
1.41
0.879
1.070
0.950
1.260
0.109
0.160
0.184
0.273
30
2
4
6
8
1.66
3.32
3.90
3.97
0.91
1.18
1.34
1.44
0.753
0.983
1.120
1.200
0.630
0.392
0.957
1.260
0.072
0.191
0.289
0.257
40
2
4
6
8
1.13
1.93
2.70
2.89
0.53
0.67
1.045
1.075
0.44
0.558
0.871
0.896
0.380
0.476
0.560
0.714
0.084
0.163
0.249
0.342
45
2
4
6
8
1.04
1.79
2.17
3.33
0.46
0.925
0.85
1.04
0.383
0.771
0.703
0.866
0.357
0.556
0.913
0.833
0.085
0.187
0.259
0.244
Fines
%
Characteristic compressive strength of panels for different cement percentages and fines contents
Cement
percentage by
volume (%)
Characteristic compressive
strength of panels (N/mm2) for
fines content
< 30%
Characteristic compressive
strength of panels (N/mm2)for
fines content from 40% to
45%
0.86
0.41
0.94
0.66
1.00
0.79
1.30
0.88
Assessment of design
strengths
Design strength required for a
single storey house 0.25 -0.4 N/mm2
two storey house - 0.8 0.9 N/mm2
at plinth level
Fines content < 30%
6% cement can be used for load-bearing
4% cement can be used for upper floor of
load-bearing
4% - 2% cement can be used for single storey
Quality controlling
Penetrometer test on green blocks
Hardened blocks 28 day strength
fk = 0.15c + 0.55 - fines content between
20%
- 30%
fk = 0.20c + 0.2
- fines content
between
30%
fk = 2.0 b + 0.6
- fines content between
20%
fk = 2.0 b + 0.25
- fines content
30%
- 45%
- 30%
- 45%
between
Blocks in use
Cost per 1.0 m2 of wall area with 290 mm x 140 mm x 90 mm
blocks
Cost of blocks
(Rs)
Total cost (Rs/m2)
Cement
Soil at
site
Soil
bought
Cost of
labour
and
mortar
Soil at
site
Soil
bought
2%
123.32
150.98
119.77
243.09
270.75
4%
156.65
189.31
119.77
276.42
304.08
6%
189.98
217.64
119.77
309.75
337.41
8%
223.31
250.97
119.77
343.08
370.74
Cement
Total cost (Rs./m2) current
prices
Soil at site
Soil bought
2%
316.00
351.98
4%
359.35
395.30
6%
402.68
438.63
8%
446.00
481.96
Cost per 1.0 m2 of wall area with 240 mm x 240 mm x 90 mm
blocks
Cost of blocks(Rs.)
Total cost (Rs/m2)
Cement
Soil at site
Soil
bought
Cost of
labour and
mortar
Soil at site
Soil
bought
2%
178.00
228.00
148.62
326.62
376.62
4%
238.00
288.00
148.62
386.62
436.62
6%
298.00
348.00
148.62
446.62
496.62
8%
358.00
408.00
148.62
506.62
556.62
Cement
Total cost (Rs./m2) current
prices
Soil at site
Soil bought
2%
424.60
489.60
4%
502.60
567.60
6%
580.60
645.60
8%
658.60
723.60
Cost of conventional
materials
9 brick work ===Rs.800/m2
4.5 brick work ==Rs.490/m2
8 cement blocks=Rs.700/m2
6cement blocks==Rs.585/m2
4cement blocks==Rs.417/m2
