Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Abstract:
Compression tests on hollow sandcrete blocks are conventionally confined to the as-cast face neglecting the other two orthogonal faces. Also uniaxial compressive strength of hollow sandcrete blocks is defined on the basis of the apparent area of the as-cast face. The definition has made no distinction between hollow and solid sandcrete blocks. In other to examine/investigate the consequences of the above, two-cell hollow sandcrete blocks with 30%, 40.7%, 50% and 60% cavity volumes were subjected to compression test on as-cast face and as-cast side. Sand/cement ratio of 6 and water/cement ratio of 0.7 were used. The blocks were hand compacted and curing was by water sprinkling for 7 days according to Nigerian Industrial Specifications for sandcrete blocks Compressive strengths were calculated based on the apparent and effective areas of the two perpendicular surfaces. The results indicate that the effective strengths compare more favourably with the control cylinder strength than the apparent strengths. Comparison between the two perpendicular surface strengths showed a linear correlation. Therefore, the plane and smoothness of as-cast side made it a better face to define the strength of blocks by correlating it to the as-cast face strength

Keywords: hollow sandcrete blocks, effective strength, apparent strength, compressive strength, as-cast surfaces web

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