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ABSTRACT
The interest in earth construction is growing increasingly as society becomes more aware of the importance of sustainable building. A considerable number of investigations have been devoted to studying the mechanical properties of compressed earth blocks (CEBs). However, most of these studies were conducted in laboratory settings. Little focus has been directed at studying the performance of CEBs that use on-site soil and other local materials to construct small-scale housing at the same location. A total of 120 CEBs were manufactured on-site from four block mixes: coarse soil with and without Phragmites Australis (Phragmites) and fine soil with and without Phragmites. By comparing the results achieved with minimum strength requirements from different building codes, the dry compressive strengths of all four block mixes were deemed adequate for single-storey structures. The addition of Phragmites caused a slight increase in the compressive strength and a slight decrease in the flexural strength of the CEBs. A formula to estimate the flexural strength of the blocks given the compressive strength is proposed based on a database of test results from the literature and this investigation’s results. CEBs can create a sustainable building solution, especially in remote areas and Indigenous communities with limited access to conventional building materials.
Notations
| A | = | the original surface area to which the load was applied (mm2) |
| Ar | = | (h/t) = CEB prism’s aspect ratio |
| b | = | the width of the block cross section in the flexural test (180 mm) |
| C | = | the distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fibre in tension (half the block thickness) |
| fCEB | = | CEBs compressive strength (MPa) |
| frCEB | = | the flexural strength (modulus of rupture) of the blocks (MPa) |
| h | = | the height of the CEB for moment of intertie calculations; the height of CEB prism for aspect ratio (h/t) calculations |
| IN/A | = | The moment of inertia of block |
| Ka | = | the calculated aspect ratio’s correction factor |
| L | = | clear span of the CEB flexural test (305 mm) |
| M | = | The moment induced at the mid-span of the block |
| Pmax | = | the peak load (kN) |
| t | = | the least horizontal dimension in the prism configuration (180 mm) |
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Henry and Joanna Wiersma at Fifth Wind Farm for providing an in-kind donation. The authors would also like to acknowledge and thank all of those who helped and supported this project, including Kenneth Mak, Jaime Escobar, Paul Thrasher, and Hal Stephens.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).