Abstract:
Cement stabilized earth blocks can be considered as an ideal alternative to burnt
clay bricks or cement sand blocks since it uses the earth which is generally
available as laterite hills in tropical environments as the main ingredient. These
are generally manufactured with either hand operated or automated machines.
Automated machinery incurs extra expense, which degrades its popularity in rural
areas. The development of hand moulded techniques can be a solution to clear
this obstacle. This paper describes a detailed laboratory experimental programme
carried out with the aim of establishing the strength characteristics of hand
moulded cement stabilized earth blocks. It is shown that hand moulded blocks
can provide adequate strength for single storey load bearing walls. With adequate
quality controlling at the manufacturing stage, hand moulded can also be used for
the ground floor of two storey houses.
