Mechanical Properties and Durability of Lime and Natural Pozzolana Stabilized Steam-Cured Compressed Earth Block Bricks

• Published in: Geotechnical and geological engineering 2015-10, Vol.33 (5), p.1321-1333
• Main Authors: Izemmouren, Ouarda, Guettala, Abdelhamid, Guettala, Salim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abrasion; Abrasion resistance; Absorption; Ambient temperature; Civil Engineering; Compressive strength; Curing; Curing (processing); Drying; Durability; Earth; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Hydrogeology; Lime; Mechanical properties; Original Paper; Steam curing; Terrestrial Pollution; Toughness; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Wetting
• ISSN: 0960-3182; 1573-1529
• DOI: 10.1007/s10706-015-9904-6

The paper outlines a study carried out to analyze the effects of mixed treatment (lime–natural pozzolana) on the mechanical properties and durability of compressed earth blocks (CEB) undergone a steam curing. Effects of parameters such as conditions and the period of curing, lime and natural pozzolana content on the mechanical properties (dry tensile strength, dry and wet compressive strength, water strength coefficient) and tests of durability (capillary absorption, total absorption, wetting/drying and abrasion resistance) of CEB were investigated. The results obtained showed that steam curing of lime stabilized blocks at 75 °C for about 24 h at atmospheric pressure leads to considerably higher strengths when compared with curing under plastic film at ambient temperatures. Therefore, the mechanical strengths of steam-cured at about 24 h are near to mechanical strengths of blocks with moist-curing at 18 months. It has been shown that the addition of natural pozzolana (at contents of 10–30 %) with lime for steam-cured compressed blocks appears to produce the higher mechanical properties and sustainable than lime used alone.