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CompressedearthblockWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Compressedearthblock
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Acompressedearthblock(CEB),alsoknownasapressedearthblockora
compressedsoilblock,isabuildingmaterialmadeprimarilyfromdampsoil
compressedathighpressuretoformblocks.Compressedearthblocksusea
mechanicalpresstoformblocksoutofanappropriatemixoffairlydryinorganic
subsoil,nonexpansiveclayandaggregate.Iftheblocksarestabilizedwitha
chemicalbindersuchasPortlandcementtheyarecalledcompressedstabilized
earthblock(CSEB)orstabilizedearthblock(SEB).Typically,around
3,000psi(21MPa)isappliedincompression,andtheoriginalsoilvolumeis
reducedbyabouthalf.
BuildingaCEBprojectinMidland,
CreatingCEBsdiffersfromrammedearthinthatthelatterusesalarger
TexasinAugust2006
formworkintowhichearthispouredandmanuallytampeddown,creatinglarger
formssuchasawholewallormoreatonetimeratherthanbuildingblocks.
CEBsdifferfrommudbricksinthatthelatterarenotcompressedandsolidifythroughchemicalchangesthattakeplaceas
theyairdry.ThecompressionstrengthofproperlymadeCEBcanmeetorexceedthatoftypicalcementormudbrick.
BuildingstandardshavebeendevelopedforCEB.

CEBsareassembledontowallsusingstandardbricklayingandmasonrytechniques.Themortarmaybeasimpleslurry
madeofthesamesoil/claymixwithoutaggregate,spreadorbrushedverythinlybetweentheblocksforbonding,orcement
mortarmayalsobeusedforhighstrength,orwhenconstructionduringfreezethawcyclescausesstabilityissues.
Hydraformblocksareshapedtobeinterlocking.

Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Development
Advantages
Presses
Finishing
Foundations
Strength
References

Development
CEBtechnologyhasbeendevelopedforlowcostconstruction,asanalternativetoadobe,andwithsomeadvantages.A
commercialindustryhasbeenadvancedbyecofriendlycontractors,manufacturersofthemechanicalpresses,andby
culturalacceptanceofthemethod.IntheUnitedStates,mostgeneralcontractorsbuildingwithCEBareinthe
Southwesternstates:NewMexico,Colorado,Arizona,California,andtoalesserextentinTexas.Themethodsand
presseshavebeenusedformanyyearsinMexico,andindevelopingcountries.
TheSouthAfricanDepartmentofWaterAffairsandForestryconsidersthatCEB,locallycalled"Dutchbrick"isan
appropriatetechnologyforadevelopingcountry,asareadobe,rammedearthandcob.Allusenaturalbuildingmaterials.[1]
In2002theInternationalInstituteforEnergyConservationwasoneofthewinnersofaWorldBankDevelopment
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MarketplaceAwardforaprojecttomakeanenergyefficientDutchbrickmakingmachineforhomeconstructioninSouth
Africa.Bymakingcheaperbricksthatuseearth,theprojectwouldreducehousingcostswhilestimulatingthebuilding
industry.[2]Themachinewouldbemobile,allowingbrickstobemadelocallyfromearth.[3]
VarioustypesofCEBproductionmachinesexist,frommanualtosemiautomatedandfullyautomated,withincreasing
capitalinvestmentandproductionrates,anddecreasedlabor.Automatedmachinesaremorecommoninthedeveloped
world,andmanualmachinesinthedevelopingworld.

Advantages
TherearemanyadvantagesoftheCEBsystem.Onsitematerialscanbeused,whichreducescost,minimizesshipping
costsformaterials,andincreasesefficiencyandsustainability.Thewaittimerequiredtoobtainmaterialsisminimal,
becauseaftertheblocksarepressed,materialsareavailableverysoonafterashortdryingperiod.Theuniformityofthe
blockssimplifiesconstruction,andminimizesoreliminatestheneedformortar,thusreducingboththelaborandmaterials
costs.Theblocksarestrong,stable,waterresistantandlonglasting.
CEBcanbepressedfromdampearth.Becauseitisnotwet,thedryingtimeismuchshorter.Somesoilconditions
permittheblockstogostraightfromthepressontothewall.Asinglemechanicalpresscanproducefrom800to
over5,000blocksperday,enoughtobuilda1,200squarefeet(110m2)houseinoneday.Ahighperformance
CEBpress,ofopensourcedesign,named"TheLiberator",canproducefrom8,000to17,000ormoreblocksper
day.Theproductionrateislimitedmorebytheabilitytogetmaterialintothemachine,thanthemachineitself.
Shippingcost:Suitablesoilsareoftenavailableatorneartheconstructionsite.AdobeandCEBareofsimilar
weight,butdistancefromasourcesupplygivesCEBanadvantage.Also,CEBcanbemadeavailableinplaces
whereadobemanufacturingoperationsarenonexistent.
Uniformity:CEBcanbemanufacturedtoapredictablesizeandhastrueflatsidesand90degreeangleedges.This
makesdesignandcostingeasier.Thisalsoprovidesthecontractortheoptionofmakingtheexteriorslooklike
conventionalstuccohouses.
Pressesallowblockstobeconsistentlymadeofuniformsize,whilealsoobtainingstrengthsthatexceedtheASTM
standardforconcreteblocks(1900psi).
Nontoxic:materialsarecompletelynatural,nontoxic,anddonotoutgas
Soundresistant:animportantfeatureinhighdensityneighborhoods,residentialareasadjacenttoindustrialzones
Fireresistant:earthenwallsdonotburn
Insectresistant:Insectsarediscouragedbecausethewallsaresolidandverydense,andhavenofoodvalue
Moldresistant:thereisnocellulosematerialsuchasinwood,OrientedStrandBoardordrywallthatcanhost
moldorrot
InIndia,CSEB'swithcementstabilizationhaveshowntobeverybeneficial.Theobservedcompressivestrength,
flexuralstrengthat28daysofagingwith9%cementstabilizationhasbeenobservedtobe3.2MPaand1MPa
respectively.[4]

Presses
CEBhadverylimitedusepriortothe1980s.Itwasknowninthe1950sinSouthAmerica,whereoneofthemostwell
knownpresses,theCinvaRam,wasdevelopedbyRaulRamirezintheInterAmericanHousingCenter(CINVA)in
Bogota,Colombia.TheCinvaRamisasingleblock,manualpressthatusesalong,handoperatedlevertodriveacam,
generatinghighpressure.
Industrialmanufacturersproducemuchlargermachinesthatrunwithdieselorgasolineenginesandhydraulicpressesthat
receivethesoil/aggregatemixturethroughahopper.Thisisfedintoachambertocreateablockthatisthenejectedontoa
conveyor.
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Duringthe1980s,soilpressingtechnologybecamewidespread.France,England,Germany,SouthAfricaandSwitzerland
begantowritestandards.ThePeaceCorps,USAID,HabitatforHumanityandotherprogramsbegantoimplementitinto
housingprojects.

Finishing
Completedwallsrequireeitherareinforcedbondbeamoraringbeamontoporbetweenfloorsandiftheblocksarenot
stabilized,aplasterfinish,usuallystuccowire/stuccocementand/orlimeplaster.Stabilizedblockscanbeleftexposedwith
noouterplasterfinish.Intropicalenvironments,polycarbonatevarnishisoftenusedtoprovideanadditionallayerofwet
weatherprotection.

Foundations
Standardsforfoundationsaresimilartothoseforbrickwalls.ACEBwallisheavy.Footingsmustbeatleast10inches
thick,withaminimumwidththatis33percentgreaterthanthewallwidth.Ifastemwallisused,itshallextendtoan
elevationnotlessthaneightinches(203mm)abovetheexteriorfinishgrade.Rubblefilledfoundationtrenchdesignswitha
reinforcedconcretegradebeamaboveareallowedtosupportCEBconstruction.

Strength
UsingtheASTMD163300stabilizationstandard,apressedandcuredblockmustbesubmergedinwaterforfourhours.
Itisthenpulledfromthewaterandimmediatelysubjectedtoacompressiontest.Theblocksmustscoreatleasta300
poundforcepersquareinch(p.s.i)(2MPa)minimum.Thisisahigherstandardthanforadobe,whichmustscorean
averageofatleast300p.s.i.(2MPa)

References
1."CriticalSustainabilityPillarsforservicedeliveryintheWaterSector"(PDF).DepartmentofWaterAffairsandForestry,
SouthAfrica.February2008.p.6.Retrieved20140414.
2."SOUTHAFRICA:Povertyreductionwinners".IRIN.11January2002.Retrieved20140414.
3."HousingandJobsforaBetterFuture".WorldBank.2002.Retrieved20140414.
4."EffectOfVaryingCementProportionsOnPropertiesOfCompressedStabilizedEarthBlocks(CSEB)ASustainable
LowCostHousingMaterial".DOI:10.13140/2.1.4966.4963Conference:InternationalConferenceonSustainableCivil
Infrastructure,ASCEIndiaSection1718October2014,AtHyderabad,India,Volume:pg10001010.Retrieved
20141111.

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