Assessment of mechanical properties of fibrous mortar and interlocking soil stabilised block (ISSB) for low-cost masonry housing

Abstract

Walls of Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSBs) have been considered in low-cost houses around the world especially in developing countries. These were reported to be very weak in resisting the lateral load (e.g. wind or earthquake) without special considerations. In this paper, mechanical properties (compressive strength, elastic modulus, pre/post crack energy absorbed and toughness index) of ISSBs with three configurations and seven combinations of plain and fibrous mortar cubes are experimentally evaluated. Sisal fibre and rice straw (2% and 5%, by cement mass) were considered for fibrous mortar. Empirical equations were developed to predict elastic modulus. It was found that ISSBs had reasonable strength to be considered for masonry. The failure load and toughness index of 2% sisal fibre samples was improved by 10% and 16%, respectively, whereas 2.21 times enhancement was found in elastic modulus. Thus, 2% sisal fibre in plaster (i.e. reinforced coating) would likely improve the lateral resistance of interlocked masonry walling.

Shear behavior of hollow clay brick masonry wallet coated with short jute fiber reinforced mortar

“…Eight samples were selected for a better assessment of water absorption of the fibers, divided into 4 reference samples and 4 treated samples. The calculation used for the percentage of water absorption was as follows: [1] where Ms is the wet mass at each time interval, and M d is the initial dry mass of each sample.…”

“…Additionally, they are sustainable due to the lesser volume of material used per square meter of masonry (hollow blocks consist of over 60% of their unit being hollow), providing better thermal comfort for housing compared to solid brick masonry. This solution becomes even more relevant due to the increasing population in developing countries, resulting in a higher demand for faster and cost-effective constructions (1). However, walls made with hollow bricks typically have lower resistance compared to solid brick walls, especially under lateral loads such as wind action and seismic tremors, which tend to cause masonry failures due to bending and diagonal shear (2)(3)(4).…”

Development of Nonlinear Finite Element Models of Mortar-Free Interlocked Single Block Column Subjected to Lateral Loading

“…The compressive strength (f c ) and Young's modulus (E) were derived from uniaxial compression tests of mortarfree interlocking block samples as detailed in the work by Qamar [18]. The tensile strength of a masonry unit is difficult to obtain from any direct relationship to its compressive strength.…”

“…The compressive strength (f c ) and Young's modulus (E) were derived from uniaxial compression tests of plaster cube samples as detailed in the work by [18]. Fracture energy values in Table 6 are obtained from Eq.…”

Performance on soil utilization model as interlock block wall material

“…In addition, the physical characteristics of other interlock blocks are as follows: (1) the addition of lime can improve the quality of the interlock block, but it is feared that it will break easily; (2) the addition of straw fiber affects the tensile strength and ductility of the interlock block [30]; (3) the strength of the interlock block is increased by smoothing the locking surface of the interlock block [31]; (4) the addition of fiber in the interlock block raw material by 2% to 5% can improve the quality of the interlock block. This increase affects the lateral force and elastic modulus of the wall [32]; (5) the provision of iron reinforcement in each row of interlock blocks increases wall stiffness and reduces lateral forces [33]; (6) interlock blocks should be made by mechanical means. This is intended so that the interlock block has a precise shape.…”