Comparative Study of Cement Stabilized Clay Brick and Sandcrete Block as a Building Component
Ogunbiyi, Moses A.; Samson R. Akinola, Oginni, Felix A.; Akerele, Emmanuel

Abstract
This study analyzed the engineering properties and cost of production of cement stabilized clay bricks and sandcrete blocks with a view to comparing the findings with cement stabilized clay bricks and hollow sandcrete blocks sold in Oke-Baale area of Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Materials employed by the study are; clay, cement, sand, water and mold. Atterberg limit test was carried out in the laboratory to establish the plastic limit, liquid limit and plasticity index of the clay soil. Results show that; averagely, liquid limit is 58.5, plastic limit is 35.69 and plasticity index is 22.82 for the clay soil which favorably compared with recommended classifications, locally and internationally. The results further indicate that the compressive strength of the clay bricks for different mix ratios range from 1.14N/mm²-1.49/mm² as curing age increases from 7 to 28 days, considering cement/clay mix ratio of 1:12. Cement/clay ratio of 1.5:12 gives a compressive strength of 1.2N/mm² – 1.47N/mm2 for the same 7 to 28 days. Results also indicate that the compressive strength of 225mm and 150mm sandcrete hollow blocks vary from 0.85N/mm² to 1.33N/mm² for cement/sand mix ratio 1:12 and 0.92N/mm² to 1.39N/mm2 for mix ratio 1.5:12 respectively; for curing period of 7 to 28 days. The cost per square metre of 150mm and 225mm sandcrete hollow blocks are N1, 440.00 and N1, 648.08 respectively, while that of clay cement stabilized block is N1, 682.45 per square metre. The study recommends a reduction in the cement/sand and cement/clay mix ratios employed for both sandcrete hollow blocks and cement stabilized clay bricks to ratio 1:8 or 1:7 to enable the blocks to achieve the recommended 2-2.5N/mm² compressive strength for load bearing wall component in building NIS 87 (2004).

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