Capillary Absorption of NBRRI Interlocking Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks

Abstract

Buildings constructed without an adequate damp-proof membrane are usually affected by a lot of problems and capillary action is one of them. Continuous research and development of stabilised earth, taking into account; its socio-economic concerns, structural suitability and environmental friendliness as a contemporary walling material have been an issue of growing interest. NBRRI has invested a lot of research time and effort in the development of CSEB technology. This CSEB when used for construction is subjected to conditions that expose it to water and sound. All these conditions are important considerations when designing and constructing a building for a particular purpose. Therefore, this study was aimed at producing standard NBRRI CSEB to investigate the coefficients of capillary absorption. The laterite used for this study was sourced in Jos, Plateau state. And also Dangote ordinary Portland cement was used for the stabilisation. The results show that an average amount of water absorbed within 10 minutes of exposure is up to a tenth of the block's total mass, indicating high water absorption at 5% cement stabilisation of the classified silty sand used.