Evaluation of Stabilised-Earth Block (STEB) As Alternative to Sancrete Blocks for Housing Provision and Construction in South East Nigeria

• Author(s): Ugoyibo Okwu-Delunzu ; Nnadi Ezekiel ; Ezemerihe, A.N.
• Paper ID: 1703295
• Page: 366-373
• Published Date: 24-03-2022
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 5 Issue 9 March-2022

Abstract

Shelter has been considered as the basic physiological need of a man after food and clothing. The use of stabilized earth soil as construction materials have solved and sustained the housing need of most communities because of its affordability prior to the use of the recent sandcrete block work in our modern construction technology. The research work aimed at evaluating stabilized-earth block (STEB) as alternative to sandcrete blocks for low cost housing provision and construction in south east Nigeria. The objectives include to assess the volume of materials availability in the study area; evaluate the comparative advantages of the usage of stabilized-earth blocks (STEB) and sancrete blocks (SSB) for housing construction in the study area, compare the quality of the soil block such as strength and analyzing empirical evidence of economic benefits of stabilized-earth blocks (STEB) utilization in construction. Materials were collected of red earth soils and sharp sand from different location i.e. one per state in the south eastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Ranking, correlation and regression analysis were used to achieve the stated objectives. It was observed that the earth materials are readily available in the study area to an average of 68%. It is cool and therefore gives thermal comfort. The cost analysis carried out affirmed that earth blocks are cheaper alternatives to convectional blocks, with a 46% reduction in the total production cost. The result of the compressive strength shows that all the tested samples attained above 1.50N/mm2 at twenty-eight (28) days. The strength of the stabilized earth blocks (STEB) compared favourably to solid sancrete blocks (SSB), thus could serve as effective alternatives to convectional.

Keywords

Construction, low Income Housing, Sandcrete Blocks (SSB), Stabilized Earth Blocks (STEB), Strength.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Ugoyibo Okwu-Delunzu , Nnadi Ezekiel , Ezemerihe, A.N. "Evaluation of Stabilised-Earth Block (STEB) As Alternative to Sancrete Blocks for Housing Provision and Construction in South East Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 5 Issue 9 2022 Page 366-373

IEEE:
Ugoyibo Okwu-Delunzu , Nnadi Ezekiel , Ezemerihe, A.N. "Evaluation of Stabilised-Earth Block (STEB) As Alternative to Sancrete Blocks for Housing Provision and Construction in South East Nigeria" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 5(9)