CHAPTER FIVE

Compressed Earth Blocks

Generals
 are masonry elements, which are obtained
by the static or dynamic compression of
earth in a humid state
 An Additive can be Added to make them
CSEB
 are a mix of soil, sand, a stabilizer (often 5% of
cement),and water to enhance particular
characteristics
 The final characteristics of CEBs depend
on the quality of the raw materials used
(earth, additive)
 Compressed earth blocks especially suited for low-cost
construction
 where sand is not available in large quantities. keep organic material
out of the clay soil used in the mixture. Otherwise the mixture will not
form a strong bond.
 Compressed Earth Blocks
Making SCEBs

 Ingredients and Soil

Selection
 Proportioning
 Deciding How Much
Cement to Mix With the Soil
 Mixing the
Ingredients
 Curing Stabilized
Earth Blocks
 Making SCBEs
Ingredients & Soil Selection
 The selection of a suitable soil for mixture with cement is
crucial in making strong stabilized earth blocks.
 The best natural soil for stabilized earth blocks is sandy clay
Testing Soil Acceptability
 the "jar test":
 Fill a glass jar about 1/3 full of soil
 Add water to the 2/3 marks.
 Shake vigorously for 1 minute.
 let the jar set for an hour.
When the soil has settled there
should be 3-4 distinct layers in the
jar. If there are not, reject the soil.
 Making SCEBs
Proportioning
 Once an acceptable soil has been found
 Determine how much cement to mix with it to make strong
SCEBs.
 This can be done easily with a "shrinkage test":
 Making SCEBs
Proportioning
Shrinkage Test
 Make a box 4cm deep, 4cm wide, and
60cm long. Grease or oil the insides
thoroughly.
 Fill the box with damp, but not muddy,
soil.
 Pack the soil with a shovel or spade,
especially at the corners.
 Level the surface with a straight edge
or ruler.
 Place the box in the sun for 3 days, or
in the shade for 7 days, and protect it
from rain.
 Making SCEBs
Shrinkage Test
 The soil should shrink and develop 3 or 4 cracks. If 6 or
more cracks appear, or if the dried soil arches out of the
box, reject the soil. It will not make good blocks.

 As long as there are less than 6 cracks and the soil lies
flat in the box, measure the shrinkage by tapping the box
and sliding the soil to one end.

Cement: Soil Ratio

If the shrinkage is: Use a cement: soil ratio of:
1 cm or less 1-15
1 cm to 2 cm 1-12
2 cm to 4 cm 1-10
4 cm to 5 cm 1- 9
More than 5 cm Reject the soil, or add sand and repeat the test
 Making SCEBs
Mixing the
Ingredients
 First the selected Soil should be
screened through a wire mesh
with holes no larger than 5 mm.
 After the soil has been
screened, measure out the
determined proportions
 On a platform or other flat area,
mix the ingredients thoroughly
as for concrete.
 Add water slowly with a
watering cane until the mixture
is moist but not muddy.
 Making SCEBs
Curing

Drying
 moisture should be eliminated slowly,
under cover
 with the blocks protected from direct
sun and rain
 First 3-4 days the blocks should never
be stacked upon each other ------single
rows
Watering
 sprinkled lightly twice a day for this
initial period.
 After 4 days, the blocks may be
stacked up to 10 layers high in a
pyramid fashion
 On the 8th day, may be laid up in a wall
where they will continue to cure and
gain full strength in about 30 days.
 Examples
Great Mosque of Dienne, Mali

• There’s no earthen
building in the world
larger than the Great
Mosque of Dienne in
Mali, Africa.
• One of the most famous
landmarks in Africa and
was built in 1907 (an
earlier structure on this
site was built in the 13th
century).
• Bundles of deleb palm
wood are embedded
into the walls both for
decoration and for use
as scaffolding for annual
repairs.
 Examples
adobe village in Taos, New Mexico

• The Taos Pueblo is

a historical adobe
village in Taos, New
Mexico
• multi-storied
buildings that have
been continuously
inhabited for over
1,000 years.
• It was probably built
between 1000 and
1450 A.D., and as
of 2006 it had
150inhabitants.
Advantages
Soil is easily available in
virtually every community. Disadvantages
Easy to use and construct with.Building officials usually fight it.
Green and sustainable. Simply they do not
Highly affordable. Especially inknow how to use it.
poor countries and Limited use in developed
cheap to transport. countries.
Proven durability. Look at the Slower to build with when
past. compared to wood
Little waste generated. Materialconstruction.
re-use. It’s fought by business minded
Energy efficient and fire individuals.
resistant. Some architectures don’t
Non-stabilized wall could be believe in the product
used instantly, no transport
or curing time required.
Fire and mold resistant
Characteristics
CEB Block
Two kinds: stabilized and non-
stabilized.
Stabilizing methods: cement,
lime, tar...etc
Similar to adobe but much
cleaner
Higher density than concrete
blocks
Must be protected from
moisture
What are CEBs made of
What makes a good block?
Moisture content 3-8%. Too
dry will fall apart, too wet makes
a weak block.
Sand is necessary to increase
comprehensive strength.
Straw is not required as it is
mainly added to adobe for
moisture reduction and since
CEB hold low moisture
adding straw will result in
cracking.
Good Soil
Compact a ball of moist soil so that it does not
stick to the fingers and insert a spatula or knife.
If the spatula penetrates it with difficulty, and
soil sticks to it upon withdrawal the soil is
extremely clayey.
To form a general idea of the texture of the soil
and the relative particle sizes of the different
fractions
Good Soil
Dry strength test
Form two or three pats of soft soil.
Place the pats in the sun or in an oven until they
have completely dried.
Break a soil pat and attempt to pulverize it
between thumb and index finger.
Observe how easy the pat is to pulverize.
Implications:
If the pat pulverizes easily, the soil is silty or
fine sand and has a low clay content.
If the pat can be crushed to a powder with a
little effort, the soil is silty or sandy clay.
If the pat is hard to break and will not pulverize,
the soil has a high clay content.
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