Stabilized Mud Blocks

By
Raghu.t DSCE,Bengalooru
Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE
Concrete masonry is already extensively used in building construction abroad, It is likely to make
considerable headway in the future in this country due

to following reasons

Durability Strength Structural Stability Good sound absorption and heat insulation. Fire resistance
It
is a block made out of cement & aggregates.
The proportion will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer & ingredients.

Generally
it is made of 1:6.
Concrete Block Technology is based on the principle of densification of a lean concrete mix to make a regular shaped, uniform, high
performance masonry unit.
It is an effective means of utilizing wastes
generated by stone crushers, quarrying and

stone processing units.
Concrete blocks are of 3 types

Hollow & non-load bearing Hollow & load bearing Solid & load bearing.
Solid block
IS 2185-1979- Specifications for concrete masonry units ( hollow & solid concrete block )
IS 2572-1963 code of practice for construction of hollow concrete masonry.
The most common sizes are

400x200x200mm,(8
400x150x200
inch)- for load bearing
& (6 inch)- for load bearing
400x100x200.(
4 inch)( for partition walls- non
load bearing)
Other sizes can also be manufactured based on

requirements of client
Cellular block Hollow block
Corner block
Hollow
Concrete Blocks are an excellent
replacement for
energy efficient
clay bricks since they are
Blocks are made of concrete, which absorbs

very little water. At the same time, they have
vertically aligned holes, which do not allow

moisture to seep through.
Concrete
blocks can be used like any other
masonry unit to build foundations, walls, arches and corbels, etc.

A
typical concrete block is equivalent to 4.5
bricks, thus construction is faster than with other masonry units.
The
mortar is also less which results in cost
saving.
They are also compatible with other materials like fired bricks, dressed stone and compressed earth blocks for composite wall construction.
The
strength of concrete blocks depends on its constituent materials used for its manufacture. presences of excessive fine silt in quarry dust & use of low % of cement leads to lower strengths. BIS prescribes a minimum strength of 2.0Mpa for concrete blocks.
The
The
Highly Low
Durable.
Maintenance, Color and brilliance of
masonry withstands outdoor elements.

Load
Bearing, strength can be specified as per
the requirement.
the
hollow space in the blocks Provide good properties against sound , heat &
insulation
dampness . Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE
Good The
fire resistance
rough surface of blocks makes plastering
easier.
Concrete
blocks permits adoption of thin walls
thereby achieving increased floor area & hence saving in space.

Do
not require formwork.
Economical
& Environment Friendly, flyash
used as one of the raw materials.
Popular
for foundation walls.
Blocks
are fairly inexpensive.
Bricks are obtained by moulding clay in rectangular blocks of uniform size and then by drying and burning these blocks. As bricks are of uniform size, they can be properly arranged, light in weight and hence bricks replace stones.
The manufacturing of brick, the following operations are involved 1. Preparation of clay 2. Moulding 3. Drying 4. Burning
Wooden mould & Steel mould

In India bricks are generally classified as : Country bricks table moulded bricks wire cut bricks.
Country
bricks are made using a simple four sided mould. bricks are moulded by the soft mud process where soil has a high moisture content facilitating easier pressing. moulding is to be done on level ground & wet brick is left on the ground for drying. drying the bricks are burned using firewood.
Theses
The
After
This
type of bricks are made by soil with lesser moisture ,which leads to the improved shape & strength for the brick. This bricks generally have frog on one of the bedding faces. These bricks are dried in shade & then burned in the kiln. This bricks are stronger than country bricks & strength ranging from 3.5Mps to 7.0Mpa.
These
bricks are made with very good soil & with more mechanized operations. A continuous slab of clay is sliced by a wire frame into a number of bricks. After drying, the bricks are burnt in the kiln. A good wire cut brick retains very good shape & strength ranges from 10Mpa to 20 Mpa. A wirecut brick with 10Mpa strength can be conveniently used for load bearing masonry upto 5 storeys without RC fames.
Bricks should be table moulded, well burnt in kilns, copper coloured, free from cracks and with sharp and square edges. (ii) Bricks should be uniform shape and should be of standard size. (iii) Bricks should give clear ringing sound when struck each other. (iv) Bricks when broken should show a bright homogeneous and compact structure free from voids. (v) Bricks should not absorb water more than 20 percent by weight for first class bricks and 22 percent by weight for second class bricks, when soaked in coldwater for a period of 24 hours.
(i)
(vi) Bricks should be sufficiently hard no impression, should be left on brick surface, when it is scratched with finger nail. (vii) Bricks should be low thermal conductivity and they should be sound proof.
(viii) Bricks should not break when dropped flat on hard ground from a height of about one meter. (ix) Bricks, when soaked in water for 24hours, should not show deposits of white salts when allowed to dry in shade. (x) No brick should have crushing strength below 55kg/cm2
These
bricks are made of clay and are provided with one or more cavities. Hallow bricks are light in weight and are used to increase insulation against heat and dampness. are used for the construction of load bearing walls, partition walls or panel walls to multistoried buildings.
They
The
clay fired bricks are lighter than the cement hollow blocks. They are not porous, absorb less water and therefore do not require plastering. These blocks are equal to six handmade bricks and hence would save cost for the buyers.
Different sizes of burnt hollow clay bricks are: Length mm Width mm Height mm 190 190 90 290 190 90 290 140 90
The
minimum average crushing strength of the bricks should be 3-5 N/mm2 according to the IS 3952-1988. average water absorption of the bricks by mass when shaIl be not more than 20 percent.
The
Here, the soil available locally are made use for production of blocks. These blocks can be manufactured @ construction sites by a manual press;
Transportation cost is not incurred;

No burning process is done ( which is a must for bricks); so no wood used here, thereby being ecofriendly.
These are dense solid blocks compacted using a machine with a mixture of soil, sand, stabilizer (cement/lime) and
water.
OR
Stabilized mud block can be manufactured from a mixture of suitable soil-sand and stabilizers such as Portland cement or a combination of lime and Portland cement. A uniform mixture of soil-sand-stabilizer is compacted into a high density block at optimum moisture content using a machine.
Soils contain particles of different sizes such as gravel,
sand, silt and clay minerals (soils containing 10-15%

clay and 60-75% sand are satisfactory )
Classify the soils into 2 broad categories: (a) Expansive soils and (b) Non-expansive soils depending upon whether the soil contains an expansive clay mineral or not.
Soils containing non-expansive clay minerals can be utilized for stabilized mud blocks using Portland cement
as a binder.
Whereas expansive soils need hydrated lime to stabilize the swell-shrink properties and hence use of lime is essential for producing stabilized mud blocks
with expansive soils.
The following steps are involved in the stabilized mud block production process: a) Sieving the soil through 5mm sieve. b) Mixing of soil and sand (or crusher dust) in the
requisite proportion.
In case of higher clay %, the sand fraction in the soil should be increased to bring down the clay content.
c) Adding stabilizer (cement/lime) to soil-sand mixture

and mixing with optimum quantity of water.
The proportion of soil and stabilizer depends on the strength and performance requirements and the type and amount of clay in the soil.
Cement stabilization is best for sandy soils in which

cement is generally added to the tune of 6 to 8% by weight of soil.
A sandy soil will need about 10-12% water for Optimum

Moisture Content.
d) Pressing the block in a machine to the

required density. e) Ejecting the block, stacking and curing.
The blocks must be stacked in a shaded area to

prevent quick loss of moisture on exposure to sun which can cause shrinkage cracks. Curing has to be done for 28 days.
If the blocks cannot be cured for 28 days due to time constraints, then ensure that they are cured for at least 14 days, with the remaining curing carried out by keeping the masonry wet.
SMB production at construction site
Compacting the block
Machine with mould lid open
Block ejection
Stacking and curing

Blocks of different shapes

SMB block corbel
Rounded corner and Corbelled SMB blocks
Stabilized mud blocks can be manufactured in different sizes and shapes. Maximum size of the block is limited by the capacity of the machine to supply required compaction force or energy during the block production process.
Range of actual block dimensions shall be as follows. Length: 200mm to 305mm, Width: 100mm to 200mm, Height: 75mm to 100mm.
Some typical sizes for the stabilized mud blocks are given in Table.
Sl No. Dimensions (mm) Length 1 230 Width 105 Thickness 75 or 90 or 100
2
3 4
230
200 305
190
200 143
90 or 100
75 or 90 or 100 90 or 100
Blocks of special shapes such as rounded corner, corbelled or any other shape for the purposes of enhancing aesthetic appearance of masonry and the building can be manufactured with special attachments to the machines.
The wet compressive strength of the stabilized mud blocks should be determined in saturated condition. The blocks have to be soaked in water for at least 48 hours prior to the strength test. The minimum wet compressive strength of blocks should be 3 N/mm2 or 30 kg/cm2 for a double storeyed house construction. Using a higher percentage of cement more than 8% cement higher strengths in the range of 4 to 6 N/mm2 can be achieved. A block of 7 N/mm2 stength is suitable for four-storeyed load bearing construction. Blocks of strength 2.5 3 N/mm2 can be used for load bearing walls in framed buildings and for single storied houses in rural areas.
Strength and water absorption values of SMB collected from different construction sites are given Table-3.
Composite mortars such as cement-lime-sand or cement-pozzolana-sand or cement soil-sand mortars are best suited for stabilized mud block masonry.
The mortar selection shall be based on masonry design and the nature of application such as plastering, pointing, etc.
Cement-soil-sand mortars of 1:2:5 or 1:1:6 give better bond strength for the masonry when compared to 1:6 cement-sand mortar.
Stone masonry in lower part of DSCE a wall rural housing Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept,
SMB wall exposed to 10 years of natural weathering
Two storeyed load bearing seminar hall (6.2m span designed for one more storey)
Residential building with SMB walls and vault
Cost of SMB mainly depends upon: (a) cost of soil and sand or quarry dust, (b) cost of stabilizer (cement/lime), (c) labour cost of block making and (d) depreciation cost of machine. Range of costs for a block of size: 230 X 190 X 100 mm (2.7 times brick volume) is as follows. 1) Cost of soil: Rs. 0.40 1.40 2) Cost of sand/quarry dust: Rs. 0.50 1.50 3) Labour cost: Rs. 1.50 2.00 4) Cement (7%) cost: Rs. 2.50 2.75 5) Machine depreciation: Rs. 0.50 0.50 --------------------Total cost Rs. 5.40 8.15
Cost can be drastically reduced by the use of local materials and self-help labour. Number of blocks (of size 230 X 190 X 100 mm) required for 1 m of SMB masonry = 180-190 and volume of mortar in 230 mm thick wall = 20%.
Stabilized mud blocks having strength and performance equivalent to or better than that of burnt clay bricks are being produced and used. Load bearing masonry buildings of up to 4 storey height have been built using SMB. Properly prepared SMB blocks do not disintegrate upon soaking in water for any length of time and the exposed buildings can perform satisfactorily over ones life time.
Some of the major advantages of SMB are:

a) No firing or burning needed, energy efficient and environment friendly. SMB is a recyclable and reusable
material.
b) Decentralized production as the machines are portable and the blocks can be manufactured at the construction site. c) Block cost is independent of scale of operation.
d) The blocks are true to shape with well defined corners and
edges. Special shapes and designer blocks can be produced with small attachments to the machine.
e) The walls do not require plastering and offer scope for

exposed natural finish with aesthetically pleasing
appearance. f) The block strength can be adjusted by proper selection of stabilizer content.
g) Provides good thermal comfort

h)Creates additional local employment in block production Can be made with locally available earth which makes it cost effective.
Requires a good understanding of the type of soil available for block production and how it can be improved/ stabilized.
Availability of soil in adequate quantity from a single
source, can be a limitation
Needs careful design and detailing of the building to ensure that the walls are not damaged by rain.
Thank You

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considerable headway in the future in this country due

is a block made out of cement & aggregates.

The proportion will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer & ingredients.

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

performance masonry unit.

It is an effective means of utilizing wastes

generated by stone crushers, quarrying and

Concrete blocks are of 3 types

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

IS 2572-1963 code of practice for construction of hollow concrete masonry.

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

The most common sizes are

inch)- for load bearing

& (6 inch)- for load bearing

4 inch)( for partition walls- non

Other sizes can also be manufactured based on

Cellular block Hollow block

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Concrete Blocks are an excellent

clay bricks since they are

Blocks are made of concrete, which absorbs

vertically aligned holes, which do not allow

blocks can be used like any other

masonry unit to build foundations, walls, arches and corbels, etc.

typical concrete block is equivalent to 4.5

bricks, thus construction is faster than with other masonry units.

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

mortar is also less which results in cost

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Maintenance, Color and brilliance of

masonry withstands outdoor elements.

Bearing, strength can be specified as per

dampness . Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

rough surface of blocks makes plastering

blocks permits adoption of thin walls

thereby achieving increased floor area & hence saving in space.

not require formwork.

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

& Environment Friendly, flyash

used as one of the raw materials.

for foundation walls.

are fairly inexpensive.

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Wooden mould & Steel mould

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE

Raghu Thyagaraj, Asst Prof.Civil Dept, DSCE