Track: Construction Management
Abstract
A study of the Suitability of Cement Modified Termitarium Soil for Brick Production in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, Nigeria were evaluated. Three Samples of termite soil was collected from four different locations within Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. The soil samples were pulverized, Grain size test, compaction test, and atterberg limit were conducted on the termitarium soil at its natural state to determined its index properties into a class of Inorganic silt of low plasticity and Inorganic clay of low plasticity ( ML,CL,CLand CL) respectively, Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) was applied. The bricks was molded using manual method at different percentage of cement ranging from 0% - 50% of the sample measured using the optimum moisture content (OMC %) of each sample for mixing and blending was with cement content by weight of the soil. Ninety Termite soil-cement bricks were produced. The brick were molded of size 10cm × 10cm × 10cm, and bricks were subjected to compressive strength test, absorption test, impact test and Abrasion Test after been cured in the laboratory. Compressive strength was gotten from 5 bricks crushed in each mix at the curing age. The strength of the bricks ranges between 1.3 to 13N/mm2, the absorption test varied between 6% -14.5% which is in compliance the regulately body. Results obtained showed that the effect of cement on the termitarium soil enhances strength, lowered the absorption ,lower shattering effect on the bricks and lower abrasion effect as the cement content increases in the mix, which make them suitable for construction of bungalow and low rise building.
Key words: Abrasion test, Bricks, Compressive strength, Impact test, Termitarium, Water absorption