Compressive strength characteristics of cement stabilized rammed earth walls

Abstract

In order to minimize the environmental impacts caused by over exploitation of natural resources for the production of building material, the possibility of using cement stabilized rammed earth for load-bearing walls has been assessed. Since the vertical load carrying capacity primarily depends on the compressive strength, a comprehensive study was conducted for rammed earth walls constructed with three commonly available laterite soil types in Sri Lanka. The results indicate the possibility of using rammed earth for single storey houses which may also be extended to two storey houses. The load deformation characteristics were used to determine the suitable partial safety factors for the structural design.