Strength and Durability Analysis of Compressed Lateritic Soil Bricks Stabilised with Pulverised Oyster Shells

Abstract

The rising demand for affordable, sustainable and environmental-friendly building materials has necessitated the exploration of alternative binders and stabilisers in soil bricks production. In this work, compressed lateritic soil bricks were produced with varying pulverized oyster shells contents (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3%) and tested for strength and durability characteristics in the 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, curing periods. The test results revealed that 2% pulverised oyster shells addition represents the optimal threshold for improving soil bricks compressive and tensile strengths, water absorption and erosion resistance. For instance, in the 28 days curing duration, the 2% pulverised oyster shells addition recorded a compressive strength of 1.97N/mm², tensile strength of 0.16 N/mm² which are 28.9% and 25% higher than the control respectively.  Similarly, water absorption and erosion resistance tests recorded 3.21% and 0.9 mm, depth respectively. While compressive strength and split tensile strength of the 2% pulverised oyster shells addition soil bricks increased by 28.9% and 25% over the control, water absorption and erosion resistance decreased by 33.5% and 89% respectively. It is therefore, recommended that 2% pulverised oyster shells addition should be taken as the optimum for a sustainable and affordable lateritic soil bricks production.