Swell–shrink properties of stabilised earth products Available to Purchase

Clay minerals undergo swelling and shrinkage upon wetting and drying. Cement-stabilised earth products such as soil blocks, adobe and rammed earth are therefore prone to swelling and shrinkage, leading to cracks and thereby affecting durability. This paper presents the results of investigations of the swelling and shrinkage characteristics of cement-stabilised earth products considering cement content and moulding moisture content as variables. The results show that stabilised soil products shrink after casting, swell during the curing process, shrink again during drying but swell again upon saturation. Moulding moisture content affects the shrinkage values, such that stabilised adobe shows a considerably higher shrinkage value when compared with the shrinkage values of blocks and rammed earth.