BCM I – Building Materials

Concrete Blocks & Mud Blocks

Concrete Block
i. Concrete block has gained importance & become a valid alternative to fired bricks.
ii. Use of such blocks is more appropriate in a region where bricks are costly, poor in strength &
are not available.
iii. Produced in large variety of shapes & sizes.
iv. They can be produced manually or with the help of machines.
v. Basic Ingredients - cement, aggregate (sand, gravel) and water.
vi. Weight - 18kg. & nominal size - 30X20X15 cm or 20x20x40 cm.
vii. Wall thicknesses - 30cm, 20cm, or even 15cm by changing its face and orientation.
viii. This does not impose any structural problems within the masonry units, as the strength of
block is fairly consistent in all directions.

Ingredients

i. Cement:
a. Ordinary Portland Cement
b. Special Cement
ii. Aggregate:
a. Sand or gravel
b. Max. Particle size of coarser aggregates is 10mm.
c. Suitable aggregates are usually obtained from natural sources (river beds, gravel pits,
volcanic deposits) or from industrial processes etc.
iii. Cement-Aggregate Ratio:
a. Suitable proportion of aggregate to cement must be found by testing.
b. Common ratios are 1:6 & 1:8.
iv. Water-Cement Ratio:
a. Only drinking quality water should be used to mix the concrete.
b. Recommended water-cement ratio is 0.5.

Manufacturing Process of Concrete Blocks

i. Mixing:
a. Mix cement and aggregates using mattock, mix until it reaches homogeneous
condition.
b. Add some water.
c. In hot climates, the fresh mix must be shaded from the sun.
ii. Molding:
a. Put the mixture into wooden or steel mold boxes or molding machine.
iii. Curing:
a. Cover blocks with plastic sheets for 24hrs.
b. Keep the concrete blocks moist by keeping under water in tanks or by regularly
spraying with water for 7 days.
iv. Storing:
a. Do not expose to direct sun light; keep the blocks in a dry & covered area.
b. Store for 2 weeks before usage.
Types of blocks

i. Solid blocks
a. Have no cavities
b. High compressive strength, resistance to weathering, impact & abrasion.
c. Capability of being molded into components of any shape and size.
d. Good fire resistance up to about 400°C.
e. Rapid construction
f. Very good stability
ii. Hollow Blocks
a. Most common type, contain one or more formed voids which fully penetrate the
block.
b. Can be made larger than solid blocks & are lighter in weight.
c. Construction of walls is easy and quick.
d. Voids can be filled with steel bars & concrete, achieving high earthquake resistance.
e. Air space provides good thermal insulation.
f. Cavities can be used for electrical installation & plumbing.

Testing of Concrete Blocks

i. Appearance
ii. Dimensions
iii. Compressive strength
iv. Water absorption
v. Block density

Advantages of using Concrete Blocks

i. Time saving, site oriented production & eliminates transportation cost.

ii. Quality control is easy.
iii. Wall thick reduced to 20 cm for load bearing walls & 10cm for partition walls.
iv. Labor intensive appropriate technique & needs less capital investment.
v. Offers larger floor area for the same plinth area as compared to conventional random rubble
masonry or even non modular brick walling.
vi. Internal plaster can be eliminated with proper care during production and laying.
vii. When plastered, the thickness of the plaster required is also lesser as compared to that in the
case of brick wall.
 Mud Blocks/Earth Blocks
Compressed Earth Blocks

i. Compressed earth block (CEB) or pressed earth block is a building material made primarily
from damp soil compressed at high pressure to form blocks.
ii. The unstabilised mud walls generally being thick have the advantage of good thermal
insulation.
iii. These walls have good dry strength but hardly have any wet strength and they are more prone
to termite-related problems in moist conditions. The walls thus built using plain mud require
regular maintenance.
iv. Stabilization is a technique of improving the properties of mud in such a way that it will
possess the adequate wet strength, durability and dimensional stability (retains its shape and
size both in dry and moist conditions) without burning.
v. Additives like fly ash, quarry dust from crushers, granite fines or stone dust from stone
cutting and polishing industries and various other mine or factory wastes can be used
effectively along with the natural soil.

Types of Blocks - Earth block /Mud blocks is a construction material made primarily from soil.
Types of earth block include:

1. Compressed earth block (CEB),

2. Compressed stabilized earth block (CSEB)

Soil suitability and stabilization for CSEB -

i. Not every soil is suitable for earth construction and CSEB in particular. Topsoil and organic
soils must not be used.
ii. Identifying the properties of a soil is essential to perform, at the end, good quality products.
iii. Cement stabilization will be better for sandy soils. Lime stabilization will be better suited for
clayey soils.

Manufacturing Process of Concrete Blocks

i. Compressed earth block uses a mechanical press to form block out of an appropriate mix of
fairly dry inorganic subsoil, non-expansive clay, aggregate, and sometimes a small amount
of cement.
ii. If the blocks are stabilized with a chemical binder such as Portland cement they are called
compressed stabilized earth block (CSEB) or stabilized earth block (SEB).
iii. Building standards have been developed for CEB.

Proportions of Ingredients

i. Cement - Soil (1 : 6)
ii. Water content - 25 liters for one bag of cement
iii. The ratio can go up to 1 cement to 10 soil.
Preparation of Soil -
i. Select soil with good grain size distribution and good cohesive performances.
ii. Clean the raw material and sieve out clay lumps, gravel and stones.
iii. Mix the prepared soil with the stabilizer.
iv. Moisten the mix with water.
v. Compress of the mixture – Pour into steel press or manually.

Curing of the Blocks

i. Stack the CEBs.
ii. Keep the CEBs moist.
iii. Cure for 4 weeks.
iv. A hot & humid atmosphere gives best result.
v. Do not expose to sun and rain.

Application
CEB blocks are assembled onto walls using standard brick lying and masonry techniques.

The mortar may be a simple slurry made of the same soil/clay mix without aggregate, spread or
brushed very thinly between the blocks for bonding, or cement mortar may also be used for high
strength.

Advantages
i. On-site materials can be used, which reduces cost, minimizes shipping costs for materials,
and increases efficiency and sustainability.
ii. CEB can be manufactured to a predictable shape and size and has true flat sides and 90-
degree angle edges. This makes design and costing easier
iii. Biodegradable materials, Non-toxic: materials are completely natural, non-toxic, and
synthetic chemical-free, and do not out-gas
iv. Energy efficiency and eco friendliness 5 – 15 times less energy consumed than fired brick and
around 3 – 8 times less emission.
v. Minimum mortar required.
vi. Insect resistant: Insects are discouraged because the walls are solid and very dense, and have
no food value.
vii. Ease and fastness in construction.
viii. Fire resistant: earthen walls do not burn.

Environmental Benefits
i. Earth is a local material and the soil should preferably extracted from the site itself or not
transported too far away
ii. Earth construction is a labour-intensive technology and it is an easily adaptable and
transferable technology.
iii. It is a cost and energy effective material.
iv. It is much less energy consuming than country fired bricks (about 4 times less).
v. It is much less polluting than country fired bricks (about 4 times less).

Disadvantages
i. Wide spans, high & long building are difficult to do.
ii. Only for low rise structures: maximum G+ 1.
iii. Strength very much dependent on the properties of soil
iv. Proper soil identification is required or unavailability of soil.
v. Unawareness of the need to manage resources.
 vi. Low technical performances compared to concrete
vii. Untrained teams producing bad quality products.
viii. Bad quality or un-adapted production equipment.
ix. Low social acceptance due to counter examples (By unskilled people, or bad soil &
equipment).
x. Cannot be used underwater or in continuously wet conditions.

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