Gooding, Dominic Edward Maxwell (1994) Improved processes for the production of soil-cement building blocks. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

Preview

PDF WRAP_THESIS_Gooding_1994.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (25Mb)

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Stabilised-soil cement building blocks are an established building material in
many areas of the Less Developed World. This thesis has been split into three parts.
Part A presented an overview of the process of soil-stabilisation and outlined the roles
which soil structure and curing play in stabilisation. It examined methods of testing
soils, highlighting errors presented in the published literature and presenting corrected
testing procedures and unified plans for their implementation.
Part B examined the conventional quasi-static block compaction process
(slowly applied pressure) and established that no cost-effective increase in the
compacted block density can be achieved by altering such moulding configurations as
mould-wall roughness, mould-wall taper, number of applied pressure cycles and
double-sided pressure application. The tests were also used to assess the plausibility
of several theoretical mechanisms underlying quasi -static compaction.
Cement may be traded against compaction pressure for a given final cured
strength. The relation of compaction pressure and cement content to well-cured
strength was established for 50 mm diameter cylinders and used to assess the financial
benefit of high-pressure compaction. It was shown that savings in the cost of cement
associated with high-pressure compaction were outweighed by the additional cost of
such machinery. However there were additional benefits found to high-density
compaction, beyond the saving in stabiliser costs. It was established that a highdensity
moulding machine in the range £1000 - £1500 would allow these benefits to
become cost competitive.
Part C examined both experimentally and theoretically an alternative dynamic
(impact blow) compaction process, establishing that optimised dynamic compaction
may produce strength equivalent to quasi-static high-density moulding while requiring
only 25-50 % of the energy. Five theoretical models of the process were developed
and the Combined Airlock/Friction/Compression Wave Model was shown to have the
most explanatory power.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	T Technology > TH Building construction
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Soil-cement construction, Soil stabilization, Soil compaction
Official Date:	November 1994
Dates:	Date Event November 1994 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Engineering
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Thomas, Terence H. ; Oram, C. E.
Extent:	353 p.
Language:	eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads