DETAILED PROJECT REPORT

FOR
PRODUCTION OF COMPRESSED STABILIZED
EARTHEN/ SOIL/ MUD BLOCK

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 3
MATERIALS ............................................................................................................................. 4
BROAD GUIDELINE TO SELECT OR MODIFY SOIL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CSEB: .............. 4
PRODUCTION STAGES: ........................................................................................................... 5
DIMENTIONS AND TOLERANCES: ........................................................................................... 8
BLOCK PRESS MACHINES: ..................................................................................................... 10
TYPICAL BLOCK-YARD ORGANISATION:................................................................................ 10
COST BREAK UP OF CSEB ...................................................................................................... 11
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS: ........................................................................................ 12
SPECIFICATIONS FOR COMPRESSED STABILIZED EARTH / SOIL/ MUD BLOCKS: .................. 13

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INTRODUCTION

Earth as a construction material has been used for thousands of years by civilisations all
over the world. It is the most abundant building material known and available in majority
of the locations. The ttraditional soil construction methods in the country are cob
(mixture of straw, gravel and clay), wattle and daub - (coarse basket work of twigs woven
between upright poles and plastered with earth) and adobe – (roughly moulded, sundried
clay bricks). The main drawback of these types of earth construction is their lack of
durability, further research is required so as to improve their quality.

Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB) is one of such technology, in which blocks are
made by compressing earth/ soil mixed with Suitable stabilizer (cement/ lime) at optimum
moisture content by simple mechanical means. Densification of soil at Optimum moisture
content and use of stabiliser make CSEB durable and it does not soften due to action of
the water.

Production of CSEB generates employment to the unskilled labour. Baking is not required
thus it is environmental friendly practice. This blocks can be used in construction of
houses, government buildings, Toilets, etc.

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MATERIALS

Materials required for construction of Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB) are as
follows:
Cement: The cement shall confirm to either IS 269 or IS 1489 (Part-1) or IS 8112 or IS
12269.

Lime: Lime shall confirm to IS 712

Sand: The sand to be used for diluting the soils shall be either natural river sand, crushed
stone sand or crushed gravel sand confirming IS 383. It should be free from any type of
salt/ chemical and organic matter.

Soil: Soil shall be of the quality suitable for the production of stabilized soil blocks.
Generally, soil contains clay minerals and inert particles such as silt and sand. The
percentage and type of clay mineral controls the characteristics of soil. In majority of the
cases the clay mineral content of the soil has to be controlled and adjusted by diluting the
soil with sand, in order to make the soil suitable for CSEB.

Water: The water to be used in the manufacture of blocks shall not be detrimental to its
durability.

BROAD GUIDELINE TO SELECT OR MODIFY SOIL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CSEB:

The soil or soil-sand mixture meeting the specification given in Table-1 may result in
production of good quality stabilized blocks. The recommended values of stabilizer to clay
ratio for expansive and non-expansive soil have been given in Table-2.
Table 1: Recommended specification for soil or soil-sand Mixture

S. No. Details Limiting value

1 Granular composition of soil-sand mixture:
a) Clay fraction (< 0.002 mm) 5%-18%
b) Silt fraction (0.002-0.075mm) 10%-40%
c) Sand fraction (0.075-4.75mm) 50%-80%
d) Gravel fraction (4.75-6mm) 0%-10%
2 Liquid limit Less than or equal to 30%
3 pH 6.5 – 8.5

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Table 2: Recommended Stabilizer to Clay Ratio for Different Types of Soils
S. No. Type of soil Stabilizer to Clay Ratio (by
Weight)
1 For soils having non-expansive clay minerals More than or equal to 0.40
(for example, kaolinite, illite, etc.)
2 For soils having expansive clay minerals (for More than or equal to 0.75
example, montmorillonite)
Note: Stabilizer content should be more than or equal to 5% (by Weight)

Use of soil containing expansive clay minerals such as montmorillonite requires lime as a
stabilizing additive to manufacture CSEB. Acidic soils having pH less than 6.5 can be
stabilized with addition of 1 to 2 percent calcium hydroxide (lime) by weight in addition to
cement. Soil containing excessive silt fraction can lead to CSEB having very low green
strength for handling during block manufacturing process. In such situations, coarse gravel
or coarse sand fraction can be added to the soil to overcome the problem.

PRODUCTION STAGES:

Stages involved in production of CSEB are as follows:

1) Site Identification for Borrow pit:

The borrow pit is a source of raw soil for the production of CSEB. It should not be too far
from the production site in order to reduce transportation costs of the raw material.
Sufficient soil must be available from the borrow pit to satisfy the proposed scale of
production. Before any major action takes place, soil samples from trial holes must always
be taken to check the adequacy of the soil and to be able estimate available amounts. Soil
composition can vary greatly even within a small area so several test holes should be dug
to give a full picture of the type of the soil within a borrow pit.

Laboratory analysis of the raw material is always necessary for large-scale production of
compressed stablised earth blocks. Before going for it, Simple field tests can be performed
to get an indication of the composition of the soil sample. Such tests are discussed briefly
below.

Smell test: Smell the soil immediately after it has been sampled. If it smells musty it
contains organic matter. This smell will become stronger if the soil is heated or wetted. Soil
containing organic matter is not suitable for production of compressed stabilised earth
blocks.

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Touch test: Remove the largest grains and crumble the soil by rubbing the sample between
the fingers and the palm of the hand. If it feels rough and has no cohesion when moist the
soil is sandy. If it feels slightly rough and is moderately cohesive when moistened the soil is
silty. If, when dry, it contains lumps or concretions which resist crushing, and if it becomes
plastic and sticky when moistened the soil is clayey.

Sedimentation test: The tests mentioned previously make it possible to form a general
idea of the texture of the soil and the relative particle sizes of the different fractions. To
obtain a more precise idea of the nature of each soil fraction, a simplified sedimentation
test can be carried out in the field. The apparatus required is straight forward: a
transparent cylindrical glass bottle with a flat bottom and a capacity of at least one litre,
with a neck wide enough to get a hand in and a lid to allow for shaking. Fill the bottle to
one-third with clean water. Add approximately the same volume of dry soil passed through
a 6mm sieve and add a teaspoonful of common salt. Firmly close the lid of the bottle and
shake until the soil and water are well mixed. Allow the bottle to stand on a flat surface for
about half an hour. Shake the bottle again for two minutes and stand on level surface for a
further 45 minutes until the water starts to clear. The finer particles fall more slowly and as
result will be deposited on top of the larger size particles. Two or three layers will emerge,
with the lowest layer containing fine gravel, the central layer containing the sand fraction
and the top layer containing silt and clay. The relative proportions, and hence percentages,
of each fraction can be determined by measuring the depth of each layer.

Image 2: Adhesion test

Image 1: Sedimentation test

With field tests and laboratory tests, suitable site for borrow pit to be identified as per soil
specifications given in table-1.

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2) Soil Preparation:

In order to have uniform soil, it is necessary to crush it so that it can pass through a 6mm mesh
sieve. It is then to be sieved through a 6mm sieve to remove gravel, lumps of clay, roots,
etc. If the soil gradation is to be changed by adding sand/ quarry dust or clayey soil, this
addition is to be done now. The operation of block making is always carried out in batches.
The batch size can generally vary between 25 to 50 blocks per batch, for manually
operated block press machine. The quality of mixing may suffer if a larger batch size is
attempted. For larger batch sizes, mechanical mixing may have to be thought of.

3) Mixing of soil and stabilizer:

As per table-2 quantity of stabilizer for given type of soil is to be ascertained. In order to
achieve satisfactory mixing, the selected soil quantity must be spread as a thin layer of
about 15cm in thickness. The appropriate stabilizer quantity now spread as a thin layer on
the soil. The soil and stabilizer are now mixed initially with spade and subsequently with
hand. The mixing is completed when the mixture attains a uniform colour.

4) Addition of Moisture:
At the outset, the amount of moisture to be added may be estimated approximately. A
sandy soil will usually need 10% to 12% water for optimum moisture content (OMC).
Water for optimum moisture content is to be sprinkled on the soil stabilizer mixture which
is spread thinly on level ground. The soil and water are mixed thoroughly by hand the
process is repeated with remaining water. The adequacy of moisture is now checked by
making a ball out of moist soil. If a ball can be made without the soil sticking to the hand
the moisture content is optimum. If ball cannot be made, the mixture is below OMC and
small quantity of water may be added and again checked for OMC. The moist soil plus
stabilizer mixture is now ready for block pressing.

5) Block pressing:
The Block press machine should be anchored in position. The moist mixture of soil and
stabilizer may now be taken in a scoop and weighed. The weight of the soil should be such
that desired block density is achieved. The stabilized soil mixture is now poured in to the
mould through quick up and down motion of scoop. It is to be compacted in the block
press machine to a CSEB block.

6) Block ejection and stacking:

The block is to be ejected from the block press machine, removed from the mould and
taken for stacking. The machine is now ready for next block. Fresh blocks may be stacked

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on a leveled ground under polythene sheet to avoid quick loss of moisture. The stacking
yard should be as close to the machine as possible. The blocks may be stacked one above
the other up to six layers.

7) Curing of the blocks:

The blocks must be cured for 21 days by gently sprinkling moisture. Strawn or Gunny bags
may be used to cover stack. Alternatively block may be cured for 7 days in stack and then
used for wall construction. The further curing for 14 days must be pursued in the wall
wherein it is often necessary to cure mortar as well.

DIMENTIONS AND TOLERANCES:

The Modular size of stabilised Earth blocks shall be as follows:

Length (mm) Width (mm) Height (mm)

290 90 90
290 140 90
240 240 90
190 90 90
190 90 40

The dimensions of the units are so designed that taking account of mortar joints, they will
produce wall lengths which will confirm to the principles of modular co-ordination.

The following non-modular sizes of the bricks may also be used:

Length (mm) Width (mm) Height (mm)

305 143 100
230 190 100
305 143 100
230 190 100
230 105 75
230 105 100

Tolerances: The maximum variation in the dimensions of the units shall not be more than
+/- 2mm.

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Frog: Each block may have frogs on both the bed faces in the form of depression of
rectangular or square shape with depth not excceding 10mm. In such cases, the area of the
frogs on each bed face shall be restricted to 25 percent of the surface area and it is
preferable to have at least one frog on either face.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Sr.
Parameter Requirements
No.

1 Dry Density of the Block
The dry density of the blocks, being the
average of three specimens, when determined
in accordance with the procedure prescribed
in Annex C of IS1725, shall not less than 1750
kg/m^3

2 Compressive strength The minimum average compressive strength

of blocks when determined in the accordance
with the procedure described in IS3495 (Part-
1) shall 3.5 Mpa (35kg/cm^2)
The compressive strength of any individual
block shall not fall below the minimum
average compressive strength by more than
15%.

3 Water absorption The average water absorption of the blocks

when determined in accordance with the
procedure prescribed is IS3495 (Part2) after
immersion in cold water for 24hr shall not be
more than 18 percent by weight

4 Linear expansion on saturation The linear expansion on saturation of the

of the blocks blocks, being the average of three specimen,
when determined in accordance with the
procedure described in Annex D of IS1725,
shall not exceed 0.10%

5 Weathering The maximum loss of weight , being the

average of three specimens, when determined
in accordance with the procedure described in
Annex E of IS 1725, shall not exceed 3%

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BLOCK PRESS MACHINES:

Suggestive block press machines suitable for CSEB production under MGNREGS with their
suppliers is given below.

Mardini Block Press
Maheemaya, 65/108,
Bilekahalli, Bannerghatta
Road, Bangalore-560076
e-mail:
mrinmayee8819@gmail.com,
gramavidya@gmail.com
Phone: (080)2658 2970
Auram Press 3000 TARA machines and Tech
Aureka, Aspiration, services Pvt. Ltd.
Auroville, Tamil Nadu – B-32, TARA Crescent, Qutab
605101 Institutional Area,
e-mail: New Delhi - 110 016
aureka@auroville.org.in e-mail:
Phone: (0413)2622278/ info@taramachines.com
2622134/ 2622651 Cell No:
Fax: (0413) 2622274 09599222036, 09599787054

TYPICAL BLOCK-YARD ORGANISATION:

Persons required at different stages of the block production, with manually operated block
press machine, may be given as:

Sr.
Stages of block production Number of persons required
No.
1 Soil Preparation: 2 to 4 persons
2 Mixing of soil and stabilizer 2 persons
3 Addition of Moisture 2 persons
4 Block pressing: 3 persons
5 Block ejection and stacking: 1 person
6 Curing of the blocks: 1 person
Total 11-13 persons

Note: Data given above is suggestive. Actual number of person required, depends on Type
of block press machine, type of soil, transportation distance for raw material and block
produced, etc.

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Key words for the organisation of the block-yard:
• Reduce the distance of transportation
• Optimise the ratio output / number of workers to get the best efficiency.
• Organise the block-yard as close as possible from the site.
• Organise the store room as close as possible from block yard.
• Organise the final stacking area as close as possible from the block yard.
• It is preferable to have linear organisation but circular one can also be suitable.

COST BREAK UP OF CSEB

1 Fixed capital Unit Cost (Rs)

Land, Shed and Storage 500 sqm 300,000.00
Submersible with pump 1 No 50,000.00
Pressing machine & all accessories 1 No 120,000.00 (Minimum)
Other miscellaneous Lum sum 600,00.00
Total 5,30,000.00
2 Recurring expenditure for 1000 blocks of size 230X105X75mm
Item Qnty Unit Rate (Rs) Cost (Rs)
Manpower per day: 13.00 Nos 160 2,080.00
Cement 4.00 Bag 320 1,280.00
Soil 4.00 M3 150 600.00
Sand /quarry dust 0.40 M3 200 80.00
Lime 4.00 KG 12 48.00
Water 600.00 Liters 1 600.00
Press machine charges and interest rate
per day 677.00
Total 5,365.00

3 Cost analysis ratio

Production capacity 1000/ Per Day
Per Day Expenditure Rs 5365.00
Cost for each Brick Production Rs 5.37

4 Wage Material ratio

Unskilled wage component Rs 2080.00 (44.37%)
Material component Rs 2608.00 (55.63%)

Note: In general the labour cost (which includes the soil digging, its preparation and the
block making) is highest. Therefore if the productivity decreases, the cost of the block will
increase proportionally a lot. In general, to reduce the cost of the block one should optimize
the productivity of workers.

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ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS:

Advantages:
• Can be very cost effective, especially when the blocks are produced at the site of use
• Soil is an easily available resource in rural housing
• Provides good thermal comfort
• Provides aesthetical wall finish, no plaster required
• Creates additional local employment in block production
• Can be made with locally available earth which makes it cost effective.
• Thermally comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and one of the most environment
friendly alternatives for wall construction.

Limitations:
• Requires a good understanding of the type of soil available for block production and
how it can be improved/ stabilized.
• Availability of soil in adequate quantity from a single source, can be a limitation.

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SPECIFICATIONS FOR COMPRESSED STABILIZED EARTH / SOIL/ MUD BLOCKS:

IS 1725: Stabilised soil blocks used in general building construction- Specification

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