Earth Blocks Made From Local Soil

Starting a green revolution in construction 

The increasing awareness around non eco-friendly practices has awakened us to adapt and incorporate practices that are sustainable. We have realized that the smaller steps taken today, have a larger impact on our future. Green practices in the construction industry can contribute towards a better and greener tomorrow. Construction using Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks are one of the many ways we can resort to, to reduce negative impact on mother earth.

Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB), commonly called Pressed Earth Blocks, are construction materials made using damp soil under high amounts of pressure to form blocks. They are composed of dry inorganic subsoil, non-expansive clay, aggregates and Portland cement. CSEBs are an environmentally friendly alternative to clay bricks that most of the residential construction in India today uses. Compressed stabilised earth blocks are manufactured from local soil mixed/ stabilised with small amounts of cement (upto 5%), sand and water.

Depending upon the characteristics of local soil, the ratio of local soil, cement, sand and water is prepared and is cast in moulds through a press to produce blocks of desired strength  after 28 days of curing.Being produced from local soil, it offers a sustainable alternative to burnt clay bricks/cement concrete blocks. The blocks can be manufactured at the site itself leading to cutting down transportation costs, saving fossil fuel and generating local employment.

Depending upon application, the blocks can be solid, hollow, round or customised. These blocks can also be used for construction of columns, floors and roofs. The dry bending and shear strength after 28 days curing varies from 0.5 to 1 MPa and 0.4 to 0.6 MPa respectively.

The dry compressive strength of these blocks after 28 days of curing varies from 5 to 9 MPa whereas wet compressive strength varies from 3 to 4 MPa (after 24 h. immersion).The water absorption is 8 to 12% after 24 hours of  immersion whereas the bulk density of these blocks varies from 1800 to 2000 kg/m3. Greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced as these blocks are not fired in kilns as done in the case of burnt clay bricks.

The quality of blocks is greatly influenced by the soil quality, compression force, curing and percentage of stabiliser and quality of manufacturing.These blocks offer sustainable solutions for wall construction replacing burnt clay bricks and cement concrete blocks. In terms of price point a CSEB wall is 16 % cheaper per m2 of wall as compared to burnt clay bricks.  Apart from using 50% less mortar, a replacement of stabilised earth mortar can cut costs by almost 30%. In terms of finishing CSEB walls do not require plastering.

Earth Blocks is a Bangalore based company that produces high quality Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks. The embodied energy and carbon emissions of Earth Blocks is around 10-12 times lesser than that of  fired bricks. The energy efficiency of homes with Earth Blocks reduces the overall environmental impact after construction, made from natural materials like clay and soil that allow the structure to “breathe”.

As clay is only stabilised and not burnt, it can still absorb and release some moisture through evaporation and condensation. This phenomenon is called “latent heat”. If the temperature outdoors is high the earth walls evaporate moisture resulting in the interiors staying relatively cool at all times. Similarly if the temperature outdoors is lower the walls condense the moisture creating heat in the wall and the space inside.

An earth wall of 50 cm thickness has a thermal lag of 12 hours. This regulation of humidity greatly increases indoor air quality which is the cause of many common illnesses often attributed to the change in seasons. With proper planning and design exposed CSEB walls regulate indoor humidity using less energy to achieve a comfortable indoor environment.

Soil is the abundantly available and oldest building material known to man. Humans have been living in Earthen Dwellings since the beginning of time. Earth Blocks reinforce this traditional building material by engineering them for modern times. Building with compressed earth blocks is not only eco friendly but also costs less to build & Maintain in the long run.

A structure made with earth blocks can be torn down after its lifetime, reintegrating the building buildings to the earth from which it was formed, thus reducing construction waste. These blocks are particularly suited for rehabilitation purposes after disasters and have been used worldwide: Bhuj earthquake of 2001, 2003 Bam earthquake of Iran, 2004 Tsunami relief and rehabilitation at Tamil Nadu. 

MATERIAL DEPOTS QUICK 5

• BRAND : EARTH BLOCKS
• CATAGORY: BRICK
• APPLICATION: CONSTRUCTION/ARCHITECTURE
• USP: COMPRESSED STABILIZED EARTH BLOCK
• NOTABLE PROJECTS:

For more such highlights in our world of materials log onto www.materialdepot.in