Effect of Bagasse Fiber on the Properties of Compressed Cement Stabilized Earth Blocks

Concern and interest about the environment and ecologic systems have promoted the usage of earth as a construction material. Technology advancement has resulted in the evolution of old adobe and cob into compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs). Compressed stabilized earth blocks are prepared by compressing the soil-stabilizer mixture at a particular stress. In order to accomplish the required strength, cement has been used in a regular basis as stabilizing agent, at proportions that are still harmful to the environment. CSEB blocks have various advantages related to cost reduction, energy efficiency and environmental friendly and therefore, it is of interest to find means to reduce the amount of cement used in their construction without affecting its dry strength and durability. In this study, natural fibers were used along with lower proportions of cement than those commonly used in practice and varying fine content in the soil to assess its effect on the dry strength and durability of the blocks. Blocks were compacted with 10MPa stress and prepared by using 7%, 5% and 3% cement along with varying fiber content ranging from 0.25% to 2%. The effect of fine content, cement and fibers on strength and durability of the natural fiber-reinforced blocks was studied. Sand/clay fractions of a native soil from the Phoenix area were used to fabricate the blocks. Preliminary results indicate that the compressive strength reaches a maximum value for blocks with 30% fine content; blocks with 5% cement withstand the durability test; an increase in fiber content decreases the strength of the material; and finally, the soil-cement loss was minimal for blocks with 50% fine content.