Towards a simple compressive strength test for earth bricks?

Aubert, Jean‐Emmanuel; Maillard, Pascal; Morel, Jean‐Claude; Rafii, M. Al

doi:10.1617/s11527-015-0601-y

Cited by 71 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Both flexural and compressive strength measurements were performed according to NF P14-306. In this standard, dedicated to cellular concrete, no system is used to reduce the confinement Aubert et al 2015). The water absorption of adobes was evaluated according to the NF P13-305 standard on three specimens, as it is recommended.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earth blocks stabilized by cow-dung

et al. 2016

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In developing countries, most of the population cannot afford conventional building blocks made with the sand-cement mixture. In addition, these blocks do not provide thermal comfort and have a high embodied energy compared to vernacular materials. The main objective of this work was to produce low cost, resistant and durable (good resistance to water) blocks with a thermal behaviour enabling quality comfort indoor. For that purpose, the effects of cow-dung on microstructural changes in earth blocks (adobes) are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analyses, scanning electronic microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry, and video microscopy. The effects of these changes on the physical properties (water absorption and linear shrinkage) and mechanical properties (flexural and compressive strengths) of adobe blocks are evaluated. It is shown that cow-dung reacts with kaolinite and fine quartz to produce insoluble silicate amine, which glues the isolated soil particles together. Moreover, the significant presence of fibres in cow-dung prevents the propagation of cracks in the adobes and thus reinforces the material. The above phenomena make the adobe microstructure homogeneous with an apparent reduction of the porosity. The major effect of cow-dung additions is a significant improvement in the water resistance of adobe, which leads to the conclusion that adobes stabilized by cow-dung are suitable as building materials in wet climates.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earth blocks stabilized by cow-dung

et al. 2016

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“…The procedure used for the measurement of compressive strength could strongly influence the results because of the specific behavior of earth when it was confined in the compressive strength test [69,70]. The confinement was more marked for earth materials, because of their ductility, and the presence of plant aggregates or fibers, which increased this ductility, increased the effect of confinement during the test.…”

Section: Compressive Strength and Elastic Modulusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant aggregates and fibers in earth construction materials: A review

Laborel-Préneron

Aubert

Magniont

et al. 2016

Construction and Building Materials

303

148

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Earth as a building material is increasingly being studied for its low environmental impact and its availability. Plant aggregates and fibers have been incorporated into the earth matrix in the aim of enhancing performance for thousands of years but scientific studies began quite recently. The present paper reviews the state of the art of research on the influence of these various natural and renewable resources in unfired earth materials such as compressed earth blocks, plasters, and extruded and stabilized blocks. This review, based on 50 major studies, includes characterization of the particles and treatments, and recapitulative tables of the material compositions, and the physical, mechanical, hygrothermal and durability performances of earth-based materials. A lack of references on hygroscopic and durability properties was observed. Future research orientations are thus suggested to promote and develop this type of sustainable material, which provides a solution for saving energy and natural resources. Highlights Earth-based products with plant aggregates as a sustainable material are reviewed.  Physicochemical and mechanical properties of plant aggregates or fibers are reviewed.  Mechanical, hygrothermal and durability performances of the composites are reviewed.  Further investigations are needed to promote these materials.

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“…The specimens were unmolded after one day and then cured in ambient conditions (25 • C and 60% RH). When the specimens were tested under uniaxial compression tests, the corresponding slenderness ratio was 1, so a corrector ratio was applied to calculate the compressive strength, following European standards and recent investigations ( [34][35][36]). The specimens were tested after 28 days of curing.…”

Section: Calibration Curvementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Rebound Hammer Test for Rammed Earth Material

Bui

2017

Sustainability

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Rammed-earth (RE) is a construction material manufactured from the soil. The soil is compacted at its optimum water content, inside a formwork to build a monolithic wall. RE material is attracting renewed interest throughout the world thanks to its sustainable characteristics: low embodied energy, substantial thermal inertia, and natural regulator of moisture; on the other hand, the existing historic RE buildings is still numerous. This is why several research studies have been carried out recently to study different aspects of this material. However, few investigations have been carried out to explore the possibility of applying the nondestructive techniques on RE walls. This paper presents an assessment of the well-known rebound hammer test on RE walls. The calibration curves of the rebound hammer test have been established for conventional concrete where the rebound number is more than 20. For RE material with lower compressive strengths, a new calibration curve must be established. In the present study, two soils were used and different homogenized specimens with different dry densities were manufactured and tested, to plot a general calibration curve. Then, this calibration curve was applied to RE specimens; different results at different positions in an earthen layer were observed, due to the inhomogeneity of the material. The final results showed an acceptable accuracy of the calibration curve in the prediction of the compressive strength of RE material.

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Towards a simple compressive strength test for earth bricks?

Cited by 71 publications

References 14 publications

Earth blocks stabilized by cow-dung

Earth blocks stabilized by cow-dung

Plant aggregates and fibers in earth construction materials: A review

Assessing the Rebound Hammer Test for Rammed Earth Material

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