Performance of compressed earth blocks: Effect of borassus aethiopum mart (BAM) fibers on thermo-mechanical properties
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Author |
Stéphane Koffi and Athanas Konin
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e-ISSN |
1819-6608 |
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On Pages
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1623-1632
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Volume No. |
20
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Issue No. |
19
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Issue Date |
January 10, 2026
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.59018/1025184
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Keywords |
compressed earth block, borassus aethiopum mart (bam) fibers, dry compressive strength, water absorption, abrasion resistance, thermal conductivity.
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Abstract
This study aims to investigate the impact of the content of Borassus aethiopum mart. (BAM) fibers on the mechanical and thermal properties of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB). Three fiber contents (0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8%) were used to make CEB. CEB with 0% fiber content was manufactured to serve as reference samples. CEB specimens stabilized with BAM fibers or not were subjected to various tests according to standard XP P 13-901 for the determination of the following properties: dry density, water absorption, dry compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and thermal conductivity. The results show that the dry density of CEB decreases from 4% to 7% when the content and length of the fibers increase, respectively from 0.2% and 10 mm in length to 0.8% and 40 mm in length. The water absorption of fiber-containing CEBs ranges from 14% to 22% with increasing fiber content and length. The results also indicate that the mechanical and thermal properties are improved for well-chosen fiber contents. Thus, the dry compressive strength of the fibers increases by more than 13% for a fiber content of 0.2% and a length of 10 mm compared to CEB with 0% fibers. On the other hand, the optimal abrasion resistance values are obtained for a fiber content of 0.4% and a length of 40 mm. For all CEBs, the thermal conductivity values vary from 0.51 W/mK to 0.38 W/mK when the fiber content varies from 0.2% to 0.8%. Overall, BAM fiber content has a greater influence on the measured physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics than fiber length.
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