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