Investigation Of Natural Fiber Reinforced Cement Stabilized Termite Mound Soil Block

Abstract

Conventional Building Materials Such As Sand, Cement, Aggregate And Reinforcing Bars Can Be Expensive And Harmful For The Environment Due To The Large Amounts Of Materials Required For Manufacturing As Well As The Energy Consumption And Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Their Production And Transportation. The Growing Concern And Interest In The Environment And Ecology Have Led To An Increase In The Use Of Earth As A Construction Material. Using Soil As A Construction Material Can Be A More Sustainable And Affordable Alternative As It Is Readily Available And Renewable. This Has Led To The Development Of Stabilized Soil Blocks, However, Using Soil For Building Construction Often Leads To Issues With Strength And Durability. To Achieve The Required Strength, Cement Is Often Used As A Stabilizing Agent While Fibers Act As Reinforcing Agents, There Is A Need To Find Ways To Reduce The Amount Of Cement Used In Their Wall Construction Without Compromising On Their Dry Strength And Durability. To Address These Concerns, This Thesis Investigates The Use Of Locally Sourced Termite Soil From Adama City Area With The Addition Of Cement And Sisal Fiber In Order To Produce Cost Effective Load Bearing Wall Making Blocks. A Total Of 24 Mix Designs Were Created, With Each Mix Containing Four Specimens Casted Into 10cm X 15cm X 25cm Blocks. A Range Of Tests Including Density, Shrinkage, Erosion, Compressive Strength, And Water Absorption Capacity Were Conducted On The Blocks, With The Optimal Mix Design Being Identified Was 10% Cement And 1% Sisal Fiber. The Results Indicate That This Mix Design Has A Compressive Strength Of 10.325mpa And A Water Absorption Capacity Of 14.625%, Both Of Which Are More Preferable Than Control And Competitive With Higher Class Hollow Concrete Blocks Used For Wall Load Bearing Purposes. Additionally, Combined Weight Reduction Is Also Observed For Optimal Mix Design When Compared To Control And Hollow Concrete Block. Overall, This Research Demonstrates That Termite Mound Soil Blocks Can Be An Economical And Durable Alternative To Conventional Wall Building Materials While Also Helping To Reduce Their Negative Impact On The Environment.