ANALYSIS OF EXPANSION AND WATER ABSORPTION OF COMPOSITE

COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK

C. Egenti, J. M. Khatib, D. Oloke
School of Technology, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street,
Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, United Kingdom, Email: C.Egenti@wlv.ac.uk

Abstract
The Composite Compressed Earth Block is an earth block of inner core of unstabilised or less
stabilised earth and an outer shell of adequately stabilised earth. A major concern of the
above arrangement is the differential expansion in the two materials that were compressed
into a unit block upon exposure to moisture. This paper is aimed at investigating the
behaviour of a composite compressed earth block upon exposure to moisture and drying.
Tests of initial rate of water absorption by capillary action and water absorption by total
immersion were conducted. The results indicated that under some identified circumstances
two materials of different properties can work together successfully in a composite
compressed earth block. This is part of an on-going research in the development of
compressed earth block.

Keywords: Compressed Earth, Durability, Moisture absorption, Stabilisation.

INTRODUCTION

Swelling and shrinking of soil when in contact with water and drying respectively are
one of its limitations as a building material. Keefe (2005) and Minke (2000) established that
the rate of swelling and shrinking depend on the percentage of clay content and type of clay
(montmorillonite clay is more unstable than kaolinite and illite). Volume changes are
influenced by compositional (mineral composition of soil) and environmental factors. The
environmental factors results in physical interactions between particles, this may include
bending, sliding, rolling and crushing of soil particles (Mitchell and Soga, 2005).
The Composite Compressed Earth Block is a unit block of different material
composition between the outer shell and the inner core (Egenti, Khatib and Oloke 2013). It is
anticipated that the two materials which were compressed into a unit block, may expand and
shrink at different rates; an action that may create cracks or void in or within the block.
This paper is aimed at investigating the behaviour and measuring the rate and limit of
expansion of the core and shell after a total immersion of samples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In selecting material for the shell and core of CCEB, the following measures were
taken to ensure compatibility: The same soil sample of less clay content was used for the
experiments. The clay/silt content was 30 per cent of dry mass of soil and properties as in
Aviele laterite soil (Egenti, Khatib and Oloke 2013). The cement content was the only
variable.
This test was to assess the worst case scenario of the behaviour of composite
compressed earth block with water. The test was conducted in accordance with BS EN 772-
21:2011.
Methodology (summary): Sample blocks were produced with different cement
stabilisation for the shell and core as shown in figure 1; with an optimum water content of 9
per cent. The blocks were cured for 7 days by enclosing with polyethylene. Air dried till the
14th day and oven dry at 70oC to constant mass. It was allowed to cool to ambient
temperature. Samples were placed in water tank, submerged for 24 hours. - drained, wiped
and weighed. Water absorption was calculated as follows:

Ms−Md
Ws = x 100%
Md

Were, Ws is the Water absorption of the specimen (%).

Md is the Mass of the specimen after drying (g).
Ms is the mass of the specimen after soaking (g)

The sample blocks produced were of the material composition listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Cube cast and composition.

No Cube no. Composition

A 07-CE/3A1/0 Outer shell - 3% cement stabilization
07-CE/3A2/0 Inner core - unstabilised earth
07-CE/3A3/0
B 07-CE/5A1/0 Outer shell - 5% cement stabilization
07-CE/5A2/0 Inner core - unstabilised earth
07-CE/5A3/0
C 07-CE/5A1/1 Outer shell - 5% cement stabilization
07-CE/5A2/1 Inner core - 1% cement stabilization
07-CE/5A3/1
D 07-CE/5A1/2 Outer shell - 5% cement stabilization
07-CE/5A2/2 Inner core - 2% cement stabilization
07-CE/5A3/2
E 07-CE/10A1/0 Outer shell - 10% cement stabilization
07-CE/10A2/0 Inner core - unstabilised earth
07-CE/10A3/0
E2 07-CE/12B1/0 Outer shell - 12% cement stabilisation
07-CE/12B2/0 Inner core - unstabilised earth
07-CE/12B3/0
E3 07-CE/15B1/0 Outer shell - 12 % cement stabilisation
07-CE/15B2/0 Inner core - unstabilised earth
07-CE/15B3/0

Initial rate of water absorption

The initial rate of water absorption was conducted in accordance with BS EN 772-
11:2011. The test is to determine the rate of absorption of water with increase in percentage
of cement stabilisation.

Methodology (Summary): Block samples were cured for 7 days and air dry to 14
day. It was oven dry to constant mass at 70 0C +- 50C. A measured area of external wall face
of block was immersed in water to a depth of 5 mm +- 1 mm. Specimens were removed from
water at regular intervals and weighed. The coefficient of water absorption of the masonry
unit due to capillary action of each specimen was calculated using the following formula:

Where t = 1 min
Cw,i is the initial rate of water absorption of clay masonry units, [kg/(m2 x min)]
mso,s is the mass of the specimen in grams after soaking for time t, (g)
mdry,s is the mass of the specimen after drying, (g)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The use of same soil sample for the Shell and the Core is intended to exhibit similar
behaviour. However the difference in cement content is expected to make a difference.

Figure: Behaviour of different compositions of specimens after 24 hours immersion in Water

The behaviour of the blocks as composed in table 1 is shown in table 2 and discussed.

Table2: Record of compositions, measurements and observations after the immersion test.

No Cube no. Composition Behaviour Amount of Expansion

Water absorbed (mm)
(% of Dry weight of
block)
A 07-CE/3A/0 Outer shell of 3% Cracked Not measurable Not
stabilization and inner outer shell measurable
core of unstabilised and disinter-
earth. grated core.
B 07-CE/5A/0 Outer shell of 5% Cracked Not measurable Not
stabilization and inner outer shell measurable
core of unstabilised and disinter-
earth. grated core.
C 07-CE/5A/1 Outer shell of 5% Small crack. 8.9 % 0.453 (top)
stabilization and inner 0.326 (side)
core of 1 per cent
stabilization.
D 07-CE/5A/2 Outer shell of 5% Good 8.9 % 0.436 (top)
stabilization and inner Condition 0.341 (side)
core of 2 per cent
stabilization.
E 07-CE/10A/0 Outer shell of 10% Good 8.33% 0.242 (top)
 stabilization and inner Condition 0.252 (side)
core of unstabilised
earth.
E2 07-CE/12B/0 Outer shell of 12% Good 8.17% 0.204 (side)
stabilisation and inner Condition
core of unstabilised
earth.
E3 07-CE/15B/0 Outer shell of 12 % Good 8.06% 0.191 (side)
stabilisation and inner Condition
core of unstabilised
earth.
F 07-CE/2B/- A monolithic block of Good 8.6% 0.301 (top)
2% cement Condition 0.308 (side)
stabilization.

Analysis Results: Cube A disintegrated because of the outer shell of low cement
stabilisation (3%) could not resist the absorption and expansion of the unstabilised earth in
the core hence the crack and disintegration. Cube B exhibited the same behaviour as Cube A
with less disintegration, showing that 5 per cent cement stabilisation, though an improvement
is still weak to resist the expansion of core of unstabilised earth. Cube C, though of 5 per cent
stabilisation, had a small crack because the expansion of the inner core was less due to the 1
per cent cement stabilization. Cube D, though of the same 5 per cent stabilization was in good
condition (no crack) because the inner core, with the 2 per cent stabilisation, exhibited a
considerable reduction in expansion which did not impact on the shell. Cube E was in good
condition with an inner core of unstabilised earth because the shell was adequately stabilised
with 10 per cent of cement to limit the absorption/expansion of the inner core. The same was
applicable to Cube E2 and E3. Cube F is a monolithic block (not shell and core arrangement),
of 2 per cent stabilisation. Though it is in good condition and did not disintegrate in water, it
does not pass the durability/surface erosion test.

Coefficient of water absorption

The coefficient of water absorption was observed to decrease with increase in cement
content.
 Coefficient of water absorption

0.016
Coefficient of water absorption

0.014
Kg/(m2xmins)

0.012

0.01

Coefficient of
0.008 water
absorption
0.006
0 3 5 8 10 12 15
Percentage of cement stabilization

Figure 1: The coefficient of water absorption of block samples with increase in cement content

Summary of observations:
1. The same soil of different cement content expands at different rate in a saturated
condition.
2. The coefficient of expansion reduces with increase in cement content.
3. Swelling of an unstabilised soil is containable in a confinement of adequate strength.
4. The confinement of adequate strength stops further expansion of the core and hence
no further absorption of water.
5. Water absorbed as percentage of dry mass of block in confinement is comparable with
the optimum water content.

CONCLUSION
The results indicated that with optimum cement content of the shell, which could vary with
the clay content of the soil sample, a composite compressed earth block is dimensionally
stable even in a state of total water immersion. For the sample soil used for this experiment
which was 30 per cent content of clay/silt ratio, a 10 per cent cement content of the outer
shell confinement is adequate to prevent the expansion of a core of unstabilised soil.
Furthermore, with a 2 per cent cement stabilization of the inner core, the required cement
stabilisation of the outer shell is reduced to 8 per cent.
References

British Standards Institution. (2011) Determination of water absorption of aggregate

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British Standards Institution. (2011) Determination of water absorption of clay and calcium
silicate masonry units by cold water absorption. BS EN 772-21:2011 [online]. BSI Group.
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