Characterization of Compressed Earth Blocks Stabilized with Clay Pozzolana

Abstract

The high cost of cement and its greenhouse effect on the environment have led to the use of alternative building materials in the production of block and bricks. This study seeks to investigate the properties of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with clay pozzolana. CEBs of size 290 × 140 × 100 mm were prepared with 0, 10, 20 and 30% weight of clay pozzolana. The CEBs were compressed at a constant pressure of 5 MPa and cured. The blocks, after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of curing were tested for density, water absorption, compressive strength, tensile strength and erosion resistance. It was found that the pozzolana content slightly improved the blocks’ density. There was increase water absorption resistance of the stabilized blocks between 32.8% and 252% over the unstabilised blocks. The 30% pozzolana content block specimens gained 116.8% compressive strength and 62.1% tensile strength over the unstabilised blocks. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in the erosion resistance between the stabilized blocks and the unstabilised blocks. The study concludes that the inclusion of the clay pozzolana generally improved the properties of the CEBs, and therefore recommended it for use in the building of low-rise houses.