Study of parameters influencing the compressive strength of Compressed Earth Blocks

This work aims to study four parameters that influence the compressive strength of compressed earth blocks (CEB): clay mineralogy, grain size, formatting pressure, and water content. Five soils with different mineralogical composition were used to study the first parameter. 12.5, 25, 40 and 60% of aggregates sized 0/2, 0/4 and 0/6.3 mm were added to the soil to study the second parameter. CEB were compacted at 100, 200 and 300 kN to study the third parameter. 3, 6 and 10% of water were used to study the fourth parameter. Test specimens were produced using a hydraulic press and characterized by compression. The characterization of the specimens shows that the compressive strength increases with the smectite content. Compressive strength does not always increase with changing particle size. Compressive strength increases with increasing formatting pressure, while increasing water content decreases compressive strength. This study also shows that the compressive strength of CEB is improved differently for each soil type.