COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTHS OF LATERITE- CEMENT AND SANDCRETE BLOCKS AS BUILDING MATERIALS

Abstract

A comparative study of the compressive strengths of laterite-cement blocks and those of sandcrete was conducted with the purpose of cheaper building material sourcing in the prevailing escalating costs of housing. The study is also to establish the minimum cement content for desirable laterite-cement blocks. An A-2-6 according to AASHTO classification system was stabilized with 0-18% cement content by weight at 2% intervals to produce 200 laterite-cement blocks of size 100mm x 100mm x 100mm. In the same manner, size and mix ratio sandcrete blocks were also produced. All the 400 blocks were equally cured in the laboratory and subjected to compressive strength test at 7, 14, 21, and 28-days of ages in five replications for each cement mix ratio. Adequate strengths for load-bearing and non load-bearing walls were achieved with less cement content in laterite-cement blocks but not in sandcrete blocks.