Utilization Of Stabilized Rammed Earth In Eastern Saudi Arabia For Construction Of Load Bearing Wall
Omar S. Baghabra Al-Amoudi , ايويباجو اولادابو اديولوا
كلية تصاميم البيئة-جامعة الملك فهد للبترول والمعادن · السعودية
Due to the widespread adoption of various recent building materials and techniques from developed countries, traditional and indigenous architecture that used earth as a structural material appears to have faded out from Saudi Arabia's construction practices. In the wake of modernization, traditional Saudi construction techniques were abandoned. Modern construction materials, like steel, fired brick, and reinforced concrete, have increased in prices. This has led to a reduction in the number of families building and owning houses in Saudi Arabia. The development of an alternative local building material could be highly beneficial to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its pursuit of affordable housing implementation. A significant alternative material that needs to be explored is the Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE). The use of SRE could result in substantial construction cost savings. It will also lead to a decrease in cement use, resulting in a reduction in carbon footprint. The study aimed to provide empirical evidence of the structural suitability of SRE in formulating a construction standard as part of a comprehensive project funded by KFUPM. The structural suitability of SRE in Saudi Arabia was determined by collecting soil samples from the Al-Qatif and Al-Hassa areas of the Eastern Province, carrying out soil characteristics, unconfined compression, and durability tests using two stabilizers, namely cement and hydrated lime. Thermal conductivity and acoustic absorption tests were also carried out to assess the stabilized soils’ effectiveness as building materials. This investigation showed that cement was more efficient than lime in stabilizing the selected eastern Saudi soils in terms of strength. Stabilization of the soils with lime was found out to be inadequate in attaining the required 28-day strength. Cement content of 5% was adequate for the effective strength improvement of Al-Hassa soils, while a cement content of 10% was necessary to stabilize Al-Qatif soil because of its high plastic nature. Durability tests also lent credence to the effectiveness of cement in the stabilization program. The weight loss decreased as the cement content increased, and it was also well below the required limits. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity increased slightly with an increase in the cement content for all tested stabilized soil samples. The acoustic characteristics of the stabilized soil samples were also measured. The acoustic absorption values recorded were all within the required limits. Still, there was no apparent trend between the acoustic absorption and the cement content. A 500 x 500 x 160 mm3 cement stabilized rammed earth (CSRE) wall was constructed with the red Al-Hassa soil stabilized using 10% cement, and the compressive strength of the wall was tested after six weeks of curing, giving a compressive strength of 2.35 MPa, which is above the minimum requirement of 2 MPa.