Comparison of the Strength of Blocks Made from Sharp Sand Cement, Laterite Cement and Red Earth Cement

Abstract

One of the man-made building materials used for a variety of construction projects is known as blocks. As long as the blocks can sustain the loads applied to them, they can be made from a variety of materials. The sand crete block, which is made from cement, sharp sand, and water, is a prominent type of block used for the construction of walls in many projects. This study is focused on the use of other naturally occurring building materials to replace the conventional ones in making of masonry blocks that could most likely guide in decreasing the cost of creation of blocks to be utilized for construction because of the significant expense of construction materials, such as cement and sharp sand. This study was focused to research the utilization of other construction materials (laterite and red earth). The materials used to make the blocks were subjected to a variety of tests, such as sieve analysis and specific gravity testing. Six (6) block samples were made for each of the three (3) types of blocks, totaling twenty-four (24) blocks. All of the blocks were cured using the open-air curing method, and the compressive strength test was performed on the 7, 14, 21, and 28 curing days of two (2) different blocks from each of the three (3) block types made. Every block was 5 inches in length. The results of the experiment (test) indicated that the materials were suitable for constructing blocks. After the blocks were crushed, it was discovered that none of them met the Nigerian Industrial Standard's minimum recommended standard of 3.45 N/mm2 for individual blocks (NIS 87: 2000). The compressive strength of blocks built with red earth ranged from 2.02 N/mm2 to 3.16 N/mm2, those made with laterite from 3.27 N/mm2 to 5.16 N/mm2, and those made with cement and sharp sand (sand crete) from 4.83 N/mm2 to 9.97 N/mm2.