Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Mineralogical Composition on the Qualities of Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 11
Abstract
Compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs) are typically produced with laterites because of their abundance in the tropics. However, the formation of laterites is governed by the nature of the parent rock, the age of the land surface, climate, and topography and drainage conditions resulting in laterites with varying mineral compositions. Because the geotechnical composition of tropical residual soils appears to be largely controlled by their mineral composition, the first level of any classification system should take into account the factors giving rise to their development. This paper summarizes the results of an analysis of the effect of mineralogical composition on the performance characteristics of CSEBs. The results from the X-ray diffraction analysis show that the soil samples consist of varying proportions of quartz and kaolinite alongside other minerals. The results obtained from this investigation show that soils with higher quartz and kaolinite content produced blocks with better performance characteristics and consequently required lower levels of stabilization. The statistical models developed show a significant correlation between quartz content and some performance characteristics of the CSEBs (e.g., compressive strength and water absorption). Kaolinite, on the other hand, did not show any significant correlation. This may suggest that mineralogy of samples may also be a significant criterion for the selection of suitable soils for the production of CSEBs.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support for the execution of this study from the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 11 • November 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 18, 2015
Accepted: Feb 3, 2016
Published online: Jun 14, 2016
Published in print: Nov 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Nov 14, 2016
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