Comparing the Strength of Blocks Made from Different Materials

Comparing the Strength of Blocks Made from Different Materials

Gana A. James; Adewara Sunday O.; Asamu Festus F. & Tolulope .O.G

Department of Civil Engineering, Landmark University Omu-Aran, Kwara State

Department of Economics, Landmark University Omu-Aran, Kwara State     

Department of Sociology, Landmark University Omu-Aran, Kwara State

Email: phildebo123@gmail.com; oladewara02@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Blocks are known to be one of the man-made building materials used for various construction purposes. Blocks can be made from different materials as far as it can stand the rest of strength. The major type of block used for the construction of walls in many building is the sandcrete block which is made from cement, sharp sand and water. Due to the high cost of construction materials such as cement and sharp sand, this study was done to investigate the use of other construction materials (quarry dust, laterite and red earth), thereof re this study is focused on the use of other naturally occurring building materials to substitute the conventional ones in making of masonry blocks that could probably aid in reduction the cost of production of blocks to be used for construction purposes thereby also causing a reduction in the cost of construction of buildings and other engineering structures. Various tests such as sieve analysis, specific gravity test and plastic limit and liquid limit test were carried out on the materials used for production of the locks. A total of five (5) types of blocks were made with twelve (12) block samples made for each type making sixty (60) in total, each of the blocks were cured using the open air curing method and the compressive strength test was carried out on the 7, 14, 21 and 28 curing day of three (3) different blocks from each of the block types made. All blocks made were 6 inch blocks. The test result indicated that the materials were suitable for block making. On crushing the blocks it was discovered that the compressive strength of some did not meet up to the minimum recommended standard of 2.5N/mm² for individual blocks and 3.45N/mm² for five (5) blocks as recommended by the Nigerian Industrial Standard  (NIS 87: 2000). The overall average strength for the blocks made with cement and sharp and (sandcrete) ranged from 2.08N/mm² to 2.56N/mm², for those made with cement and quarry dust it ranged from 1.19N/mm² while those made with cement and laterite had compressive strength that ranged from 0.96N/mm² to 2.25M/mm² and lastly those made with red earth, laterite and sharp sand had the least average compressive strength for every of the curing days and it ranged from 0.75N/mm² to 1.58N/mm².

Keyword: Comparing, Strengths, Blocks, Made, Different Materials.