Abstract
Lateritic soils are formed in the tropics through weathering processes that favor the formation of iron, aluminum, manganese and titanium oxides. These processes break down silicate minerals into clay minerals such as kaolinite and illite. Iron and aluminum oxides are prominent in lateritic soils, and with the seasonal fluctuation of the water table, these oxides result in the reddish-brown color that is seen in lateritic soils. These soils have served for a long time as major and sub-base materials for the construction of most highways and walls of residential houses in tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world. Civil engineering applications of these lateritic soils are continually being developed with the use of different types of stabilizers. The stabilized soil-based products are as such viewed as environmentally-friendly and low-cost energy materials for sustainable building applications. This work aims at presenting a global view of what has been done in the field of lateritic soil improvement for construction purposes in tropical countries such as Cameroon. This shall be discussed through the presentation of the structure, composition and properties of lateritic soils, the various ways of improving their properties for construction purposes, the properties of products obtained and other prospects.
Highlights
The term Laterite is derived from the Latin word ―later‖, meaning brick
Physical stabilization consists of modifying the properties of soil by intervening with its texture (granulometry treatment, heat or electric treatments that lead to the drainage of the soil and confer new structural properties to it) [7,8]
From the investigations carried out in this study [3], the following conclusions were made with regard to the effect of the mixture components on the properties of compressed lateritic soil stabilized with a lime-burnt clay binder:
Summary
The term Laterite is derived from the Latin word ―later‖, meaning brick. It was first used in 1807 by Buchanan to describe a red iron-rich material found in the southern parts of India. Cameroonian standards for CEB (a set of 14 standards defining terminology, dimensions, raw material testing method, products testing methods, minimal requirement for mortar and CEB, as well as good practice code for production and construction) was established in 2006 and the Prime Minister, the Head of Government in 2007, signed a circular instructing the construction of public buildings (up to one level) with local materials (including CEB) All these efforts need to be kept and to be improved on both scientifically and through popularization. A single sample may exhibit a whole range of colors merging more or less perceptibly into one another in a variety of patterns and forms Laterites owe their color to iron oxides in various states of hydration and sometimes to manganese [1]. This makes it an excellent packing material when it is not too sandy [1]
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