Seminar report

On

THE ROLE OF SOIL CEMENT BLOCKS IN

HOUSING
SUBMITTED
TO
VIVESWARAIAH TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
BELGAUM
FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF M-TECH (STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING)

BY
B.SUREKHA
Reg. No: -
1st Semester M-Tech Structures

Under The Guidance of:

Asst.Prof.P.M.RAVINDRA
Department of Civil Engineering

BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

(Affiliated To Visveswaraiah Technological University)
Bangalore-560004
 BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BANGALORE -560004

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that B. Surekha has submitted the seminar report on

“THE ROLE OF SOIL CEMENT BLOCKS IN HOUSING”
in partial fulfillment of the 1st semester M-Tech course in structural engineering
as prescribed by the Visveswaraiah Technological University during the academic
year 2006-2007, under the guidance of Asst. Prof. P.M.RAVINDRA

Asst.Prof.P.M.RAVINDRA
Department of Civil Engineering

2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my deep sense of gratitude to Asst.Prof.P.M.RAVINDRA,

Department of Civil Engineering, BIT, for his guidance and help through out this
seminar work.
I will remain thankful to all the faculty members of Department of Civil
Engineering, BIT for their support during the course of this work.
Finally I express gratitude to my parents, fellow students and friends.

B.SUREKHA
M-TECH STRUCTURES
BANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

3
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS

3. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
3
4 4. DESIGN CONCEPT

5. RESULTS, COST ANALYSIS

5
6. ADVANTAGE’S AND DISADVANGE’S

7. WORKS DONE

8. CONCLUSION

9. SCOPE FOR FURTHER STUDY

10. REFERENCES

4
1. INTRODUCTION

Soil Cement Blocks or Compressed Stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) are

dense solid blocks compacted using a machine with a mixture of soil, sand,
stabilizer (cement/lime) and water. After 28 days curing, the stabilized mud
blocks (SMB) are used for wall construction. Two block sizes (305x143x100mm)
and (230x190x100mm) have been standardized. These blocks are 2.5 to 2.8
times bigger in volume when compared with locally available conventional burnt
clay bricks. Compressive strength of the block greatly depends upon the soil
composition, density of the block and percentage of stabilizer (cement/lime).
Sandy soils with 7% cement can yield blocks having wet compressive strength of
3-4Mpa. Higher strength for the block can be obtained by increasing the quantity
of stabilizer.

CSEB can be used for wall construction without any new technological
problems. They have been successfully used to construct load-bearing wall of
several building in the recent past. The mason has to adopt himself to the
handling of block of different size. Compared to the normal burnt bricks,
stabilized mud block is generally heavier and bigger. The pressed soil block walls
require thinner plaster for inside walls and outer walls can be exposed with
proper pointing. Also mortar consumption for wall construction will be less. Bigger
block size also leads to better wall strength with higher masonry.

The Soil cement blocks can be constructed using cement mortar, lime
mortar, lime pozzolana mortar or mud mortar. Mortar selection depends upon the
desired wall strength and bond between the mortar and blocks. Lean and low
strength mortars can lead to poor bond between mortar and blocks. Normal

5
cement mortar of 1:6 proportion has been used in the construction of soil-cement
block walls of several buildings. It has been observed that the bond between
cement mortar and soil cement block is not as good as that of burnt brick and
cement mortar. Smooth surface of pressed soil-cement block and the presence
of already hydrated cement leads to poor mechanical and chemical bond. To
improve the bonding frogs have been introduced on both faces.

STABILIZED MUD BLOCK

6
 AURAM HALLOW INTER
LOCKING BLOCKS (295)

Blocks produced by the Auram Press 3000

Auram equipment for earth construction

A wide range of equipment for building with earth has been researched
and developed from the very outset. It ranges from presses for compressed earth

7
blocks, quality control devices for block making, handling equipment, hand tools,
scaffolding, and rammed earth equipment. To date, this equipment has been sold
mostly in South Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, the AURAM Press 3000 has

become renowned as one of the best presses available worldwide, and machines
are being sold worldwide: in USA, Europe and Middle East.

2. NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS

Demand for new buildings as well as the cost of building construction is

growing at a steady pace. Bricks, cement, steel, timber, plastics, glass, are some
of the commonly used conventional materials. Manufacture of such conventional
materials requires expenditure of energy in various forms, and the manufacturing
processes are detrimental to the environment. The use of traditional building
techniques mud walls, thatch roofs require frequent repairs. Use of conventional
materials alone to satisfy the demand for new buildings, can drain the available
energy resources and cause environment degradation. This clearly indicates the
need for energy efficient, environment friendly, economical alternative building
materials and technologies.
Centre for ASTRA (Application of Science and Technology to Rural Areas)
was formed in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has developed
alternative building technologies looking at utilisation of local materials and
reducing energy consumption to achieve cost reduction.
Indian construction industry is one of the largest in terms of economic
expenditure, volume of raw materials/natural resources consumed, volume of
materials and products manufactured, employment generated, environmental
impact etc. Large variety of materials are manufactured and consumed in the

8
construction industry. Production levels and energy expenditure of some of the
building materials consumed in bulk quantities are given in Table 1.

Table 1.
Volume and energy consumption of building materials in India (2003)

Total energy expenditure on bricks, cement aluminium and structural steel

consumed in bulk quantities is 1684 × 106 GJ per annum. It has been estimated
that 22% of green house gas (GHG) emissions is contributed by the construction
sector in India1. There is an ever-increasing demand for building materials. For
example demand for houses has doubled in about two decades from 1980
(Figure 1)

9
 200

HOUSING SHORTAGE
180 HOUSING STOCK
NO OF HOUSE HOLDS
160

140

120
IN MILLIONS

100

80

60

40

20

0
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
YEAR

Figure-1

3. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

3.1 Soil Suitability and Stabilization for CSEB

Not every soil is suitable for CSEB in particular. Topsoil and organic soils
must not be used. Identifying the properties of a soil is essential to create, at the
end good quality products. Not every soil is suitable for earth construction and
CSEB in particular. But with some knowledge and experience many soils can be
used for producing CSEB.

A soil contains four components: gravel, sand, silt and clay. In concrete,
the binder of gravel and sand is cement. In a soil, the binder is silt & clay. But silt
and clay are not stable in water. Thus, the aim of stabilization is to stabilize silt

10
and clay against water, so as to give lasting properties with the minimum of
maintenance.

Figure-2

3.2 Soil identification and stabilization

The points to be considered while analyzing the property of soil:

a) Grain size distribution, to know the quantity of each grain size.
b) Plasticity characteristics, to know the quality and properties of the
binders (clays and silts).

c) Compressibility, to know the optimum moisture content, which will

require the minimum compaction energy for the maximum density.
d) Cohesion, to know how the binders bind the inert grains.
e) Many stabilizers can be used. Cement and lime are the most common
ones. Others, like chemicals, resins or natural products can be
used as well.
The selection of a stabilizer will depend upon the soil quality and the
project requirements:
Cement will be preferable for sandy soils and to achieve quickly a higher
strength.
Lime will be rather used for very clayey soil, but will take a longer time to
harden and to give strong blocks.

11
 The average stabilizer proportion is rather low :
Cement stabilization = 5% average.
The minimum is 3% and the maximum is 8%
Lime stabilization = 6% average.
The minimum is 2% and the maximum is 10%
.

Figure-3 .Production stabilized mud blocks using a manual press

3.3 Production
a. Preparation
The soil will have o be sieved through a 5mm sieve to remove gravel,
roots and clay lumps. If there are too many lumps of clay, the soil may be spread
in a thin layer (about 15cms thick) on level ground and about 15% moisture
sprinkled on the lumpy soil. The soil may be left in that condition for a day and
then the lumps may be broken on softening of the soil.

b. Mixing stabilizer and moisture

Table -2 : The stabilizer percentage is specified is by weight.
Stabilizer &% by Volume of stabilizer Volume of soil in
Weight in scoops scoops

12
 Cement 5% 1 20
Cement 4% 1 25
Cement 3% 1 33
Lime 5% 2 24
Cement 2.5% 1 40
Lime 3% 2 40
Cement 8% 2 25
Cement 3.5% 1 25
Lime 2% 1 30

When the stabilizer percentage is specified, we normally mean

percentage by weight. However in practice it is necessary to convert this ratio to
a volume percentage. When cement is the stabilizer the weight proportion and
the volume proportion (in bulk) turn out to be the same. Lime stabilization is
being carried out, the weight and volume proportions are different, the
correspondence between the two is presented in table 2 for the various
combinations.

Dry mixing: For 5% soil cement block, measure out 20 scoop of sieved
and prepared soil, such that it forms a thin layer on the ground, measure out one
scoop full of cement and spread it thinly on the top of soil. Now mix the soil and
cement thoroughly till the presence of neat cement cannot be detected visually.
This mixing is done preferably when the soil is dry.
Addition of moisture: The proportion of water should be approximately
close to the field optimum moisture content. Water to be mixed should be about
10% of the total weight of dry mix. Assuming that the dry soil contains 5% of
moisture, the water should be added gradually. The soil cement mixture and
moisture must be thoroughly mixed with hand and checked for optimum moisture
content. This can be easily determined by making a ball of the moist soil in the
palm of your hand. The soil should not stick in this process.

13
 The soil has to be prepared in batches for block pressing. When cement
is used, as the stabilizer the quantum of moist soil prepared at a time must be
less than or equal to 25 scoops. Larger batch size means that the last few blocks
will be pressed after the initial setting of cement. This will lead to poor strength
gain.

c. Block pressing:
Lift the toggle lever till it is vertical and touches the frame of the machine.
Open the lid and place the bottom plate of the machine in the mould.
Take a of scoop of moist soil mixed with stabilizer and weigh it in a pan
balance. The soil weight should be 9kgs for a 10cms thick block (it will be 7.25
kgs for a 8cms thick block)

Fill the mould with the soil, pushing the narrow end of the scoop deep into
the mould and shaking the soil by an up and down motion of the scoop. Care
must be taken to prevent the soil from falling outside the mould.
Press all the soil into the mould and close the lid with a forceful action.
This will lead to the initial compaction of the top of the mud block. Lock the lid in
position using the screw jack provided for the purpose.
Press the block by pulling the toggle down. If necessary two persons can
press the toggle lever. The person operating the end of the lever can use his
bodyweight in pulling the lever down. Under no circumstances should 3 persons
press the lever. The block pressing is complete only when the lever touches the
first fulcrum at the bottom of the frame. If this does no happen, the block
thickness will be more than the specified value.

14
 Release the screw jack and open the lid. The toggle lever may now be
pressed further down using the first fulcrum and then the second fulcrum. The
block is now ejected.
Slide the block along with the bottom plate and stack it edgewise. The
plate may now be taken out. The second bottom plate may be inserted into the
mould and the process is repeated.

d. Curing
The mud blocks stabilized with cement or lime must be cured for 21 days
by a gentle sprinkling of water. It is preferable to use a garden rose-can for the
sprinkling. Under no circumstances should a jet of water from a hose should be
used. The top of the stack of blocks must be covered by straw or gunny cloth to
prevent evaporation of water. The stacking may be done in a shaded area to
assist curing.

4. DESIGN CONCEPT

Concept for wall Design: The masonry design can be carried out using
specifications and design guidelines given by National Building Code (2).

Notations
Pb : Brick or block strength
Pm : Masonry unit strength
Pw : Masonry Wall strength
e : Eccentricity of loading
h : Masonry efficiency = Pm/Pb

15
 Ks : Reduction factor due to slenderness ratio
Ke : Reduction factor due to eccentricity of loads
s : Basic compressive stress in masonry

Table:3

Sl no Masonry Details Burnt bricks Soil-cement Blocks

From (NBC code) (from tests)

1 Compressive 5 2.51
2
strength(N/mm )
2 Basic stress for cm 0.35 0.43
2
1:6 (sb)N/mm

Design calculations of the most critical central wall are for a ground and
first floor building is illustrated below.

Let the wall thickness be 230mm

Consider a wall width of 1.0m
Loads
a) Self weight of the wall = 2(1.0mx0.23mx3.0m)x20 KN/m2 = 27.60 KN
b) Dead weight of floor and roof slab
= 2(0.15x1x4/2m+4.3/2m+0.23) 24 KN/m3 = 31.53 Kn
c) Live load of floor
= 1mx(4+4.3)/2 x 2 KN/m2 = 8.30 KN
d) Live load of roof
= 1m x (4+4.3)/2 x 1.5 KN/m2 = 6.22 KN

16
 Total Load = 73.66 KN

Compressive stress developed at the base of the wall

= 73.66 KN/ 230 mmx100mm = 0.314N/mm2

Assume soil cement block strength of 2.5 N/mm2 and the wall is built using 1:6cm
Basic compressive stress in masonry =sb = 0.43N/mm2
(Based on laboratory tests on masonry prisms)

Then Permissible compressive stress in the wall = sb x Ks x Ke

= 0.43 x 0.845 x 1.0
= 0.363 N/mm2
 0.314 N/mm2

Hence the central wall of building should be 23cm thick soil cement block
constructed in 1:6 cement mortar, of 2.5N/mm2 wet compressive strength.

5. TEST RESULTS, COST ANALYSIS

17
Table: 4

Energy effectiveness

Cost is too often limited only to the monetary value. It is understandable

and one can remember that in Auroville a cubic meter of CSEB is around 23.6 %
cheaper than a cubic meter of country fired bricks. But the energy approach
should be integrated: some studies have shown that, in the Indian context,

building a m² of masonry with CSEB consumes 5 times less energy than

a m² of wire cut bricks masonry and 15 times less than country fired bricks.

Ecological comparison of building materials

Compressed stabilized earth blocks are more eco-friendly than fired

bricks. Their manufacture consumes less energy and pollute less than fired
bricks
Table: 5

Energy consumption Pollution emission

(Kg of CO2 /M2) ( MJ)

18
 4.9 times less than wire cut bricks 2.4 times less than wire cut bricks
15.1 times less than country fired 7.9 times less than country fired
bricks bricks

Source 1998 – Development Alternatives for Indian Context.

Figure - 4

This (FIG 4.) graph shows the change in compressive strength with extra
pressure and extra cement. For the low pressure samples (1 and 2 MPa) as the
cement content doubles the strength also doubles. For the higher pressure
samples the fractional increase in strength for the same increase in cement is
greater. This clearly indicates that the effectiveness of the cement present
increases as the level of compaction is also increased.

Cost effectiveness

CSEB are generally cheaper than fired bricks. This will vary from place to
place and especially according to the cement cost. The cost break down of a 5 %

19
stabilized block will depend on the local context. In India with manual equipment
(AURAM press 3000), it is usually within these figures:
Labor: 20 - 25 % Soil & sand: 20 - 25% Cement: 40 - 60 % Equipment: 3 - 5 %

In Auroville, a finished m3 of CSEB wall is generally: 48.4 % cheaper than

wire cut bricks and 23.6 % cheaper than country fired bricks.

The strength of a block is related to the press quality and the

compression force, and to the quantity of stabilizer. This implies that to reduce
the cost of a block one should try to reduce the quantity of cement but not the
cost of the labor with unskilled people. One should also not cut down the cost of
the press with cheap quality machines, which would not last long and would not
give strong blocks.

6. ADVANTAGE’S AND DISADVANTAGE’S

ADVANTAGES OF CSEB:
A local material
Ideally, production is made on the site itself or in the nearby area. Thus, it
will save transportation, fuel, time and money.
A bio-degradable material
Well-designed CSEB houses can withstand, with a minimum of
maintenance, heavy rains, snowfall or frost without being damaged. Their
strength and durability have been proven since half a century. But let’s imagine a
building fallen down and that a Jungle has grown on it: the bio-chemicals

20
contained in the humus of the topsoil will destroy the soil cement mix in 10 or 20
years… And CSEB will come back to our Mother Earth... No other building
material can do that.
Limiting deforestation
Firewood is not needed to produce CSEB. This will save forests, which
are being depleted quickly in the world, due to short view developments and
mismanagement of resources.
Management of resources
Each quarry should be planned for various utilisations: water harvesting
pond, wastewater treatment, reservoirs, landscaping, etc. It is crucial to be aware
of this point: very profitable if well managed… Disastrous if unplanned!
Energy efficiency and eco friendliness
Requiring only a little stabilizer the embodied energy in a m3 can be from
5 to 15 times less than a m³ of fired bricks. The pollution emission will also be 2.4
to 7.8 times less than fired bricks.

Cost efficiency
Produced locally, with a natural resource and semi skilled labor, almost
without transport, it will be definitely cost effective, more or less according to
each context and to ones knowledge.
An adapted material
Being produced locally it is easily adapted to various needs: technical,
social, cultural habits.
A transferable technology
It is a simple technology requiring semi skills, easy to get. Simple villagers
will be able to learn how to do it in a few weeks. An efficient training centre
can transfer the technology in a week’s time.

21
 A job creation opportunity
CSEB allow unskilled and unemployed people to learn a skill get a job
and rise in the social scale.
Market opportunity
According to the local context (materials, labor, equipment, etc.) the final
price will vary, but in most cases it will be cheaper than fired bricks.
Reducing imports
Produced locally by semi skilled people, no need to import from far away
expensive materials or transport over long distances heavy and costly building
materials.
Flexible production scale
Equipment for CSEB is available from manual to motorized tools ranging
from village to semi industry scale. The selection of the equipment is crucial, but
once done properly, it will be easy to use the best-adapted equipment for each
case.

Social acceptance
Demonstrated, since long, CSEB can adapt itself to various needs, from
poor income groups to well off people or government needs. Its quality, regularity
and style allow a wide range of final house products. To facilitate this acceptance,
banish from your language “stabilized mud blocks”, when speaking of CSEB.
Often people associate in their minds the name mud with poor building material.

DISADVANTAGES

 Proper soil identification is required or lack of soil.

22
 Unawareness of the need to manage resources.
 Ignorance of the basics for production & use.
 Wide spans, high & long building are difficult to do.
 Low technical performances compared to concrete.
 Untrained teams producing bad quality products.
 Over-stabilization through fear or ignorance, implying Outrageous costs.
 Under-stabilization resulting in low quality products.
 Bad quality or un-adapted production equipment.

7. WORKS DONE
7.a BUILDING WITH EARTH IN AUROVILLE
Since the beginning of Auroville, various experiments have been made with earth
building, with mixed results. The creation of the Auroville Building Centre/Earth
Unit in 1989, and the construction of the Visitors’ Centre, started a new era in
earthen architecture.
This Visitors’ Centre of 1200 m² was granted the “Hassan Fathy Award for
Architecture for the Poor” in 1992. Built of compressed stabilized earth blocks, it
demonstrated the potential of stabilized earth as a quality building material.
Since then, the value of earth as a building material has been
acknowledged for its economic advantage, as well as its comfort and quality,

23
which promotes indigenous and sustainable development. Today, Auroville can
show a wide variety of earthen projects: public buildings, schools, apartments
and individual houses.

7b. Building with arches, vaults and domes

This R&D seeks to increase the span of the roof, decrease its thickness,
and create new shapes. Vaults and domes are usually built with compressed
stabilized earth blocks, which are laid in “free spanning” mode, without using a
formwork.
This technique was previously called the Nubian technique.

24
8. CONCLUSION:
The high-density compressed and stabilized soil block seems to be a
reasonable Contender in low-cost building materials. It requires less energy than
all of the available competitors and slightly less cement than most of them.
Variants on the CSEB can reduce the cement still further making it even more
acceptable to a wider range financial capacity. Furthermore the ability for the

25
CSEB to utilize local materials and be manufactured either on-site or very locally
makes the material more suitable to cottage industries and self-build schemes.
The table below summarizes the different possible variants that can be
accomplished with the CSEB and how each one performs with reference to the
unmodified CSEB. By combining several of these variants into a single block the
material can theoretically achieve a tolerable cement requirement, (less than
15kg/m²), without excessive energy consumption. The tall, hollow, interlocking
block as described below even uses less cement then the clamp fired bricks . As
this is one of the more common and more wasteful methods of making
satisfactory building materials, this confirms that this variant of CSEB is a real
contender.
Many different variants of the CSEB have already been successfully
made. However, the author is not aware of any specific manufacturer that can
produce the tall, hollow, Interlocking CSEB variant that seems so frugal in its
cement use. It is hoped that the application of compaction by impact can yield
such a material without the addition of expensive machinery but has yet to be
confirmed.

Tests need to be conducted to see if such a variant of CSEB can indeed

be made successfully. Following that it would need to be tested to determine
whether or not it exhibits the necessary level of durability for use in the humid
tropics. If these proved successful, then a pilot scheme would need to be
implemented to disseminate the information and necessary technology to a
suitable area where low-cost housing is needed.

26
Table: 6

9. TOWARDS THE FUTURE

Building with earth is definitely an appropriate, and cost and energy
effective technology. Obviously one has to know the material and master its
disadvantages, which normally are variations in the soil quality and hence the
block quality, shrinkage cracks, lower strength than high quality fired bricks or
concrete, production of the blocks on site, etc.

27
 Since half a century, research and development has proved the potential
of earth techniques. Earth can be used as a quality and modern building material
almost everywhere in the world. One of the main key points for a general revival
and dissemination of earth techniques is respect for Nature and the management
of resources.
The Earth is Sacred and any soil for building is a precious material. Don’t waste
it.
To avoid waste earth, separate the piles of topsoil from the building soil.
Don’t mix waste building materials with it. Use rubble from building sites for filling
basements rather than good soil. Don’t spoil quarry holes by dumping in
garbage.

Building with earth has a great past, but also a promising future everywhere in
the world. Don’t miss it!

Appendix:

Brick: An object (usually of fired clay) used in construction, usually of rectangular

Shape whose largest dimension does not exceed 300mm.
Block: A larger type of brick not necessarily made of fired clay, but stabilized in

28
 Some Way, sometimes with central cores removed to reduce the weight.
Cement: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).
Clay: The finest of the particles found in soil, usually of less than 0.002mm in
Size and possesses significant cohesive properties.
Concrete: The finished form of a mixture of cement, sand, aggregate and water.
Dynamic Compaction: A process that compresses the soil by applying a series
of Impact blows to it.
Fines: General category of silts and clays.
Green Strength: The strength present in a freshly formed block prior to curing.
Sand: A mixture of rock particles ranging from 0.06mm to 2 mm in diameter.
Silt: Moderately fine particles of rock from 0.002mm to 0.06mm in size.
Soil: Material found on the surface of the earth not bigger than 20mm in size, not
including rocks and boulders and predominantly non-organic. If soil is to
be used for building material it must not contain any organic material and
it can be a natural selection of particles or a mixture of different soils to
attain a more suitable particle distribution.
Stabilized soil: Soil, which has been stabilized (treated to improve structural
characteristics) by using one or more of the following stabilization
techniques: mechanical, chemical and physical.

References:

Minimising the cement requirement of stabilized soil block walling

Author: Mr D E Montgomery & Dr T H Thomas March 2001

29
Sustainable building technologies B. V. Venkatarama Reddy
Department of Civil Engineering & Centre for Sustainable Technologies,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India

Earthen Architecture for sustainable habitate and Compresses

stabilized earth block technology.
Satprem Maïni, Architect, Director of the Auroville Earth Institute
Auroville Building Centre – INDIA

Alternative Building Technologies,

The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

30