Effect of stabiliser type on the physical and mechanical properties of tuff material

The properties of tuff blocks and the feasibility of using these blocks in construction were examined. This paper presents an experimental study on the characterisation of tuff blocks stabilised with cement, lime, alfa fibres and human hair. The use of tuff raises many questions and poses challenges, but it has been chosen to play a major role in road constructions in recent years because tuff soil is one of the most abundant natural materials. The disadvantage of tuff blocks is their low resistance to water damage. The main objective of this work was to study the mechanical properties (compressive and tensile strength, and speed of sound resistance) and durability (water absorption and wetting–drying) of tuff blocks. The experimental results showed that 80% tuff + 20% clay + 12% cement bricks give better results and that the impact of fibres on tuff blocks is unfavourable due to their heterogeneity or distribution, low matrix adhesion and very high water absorption. These factors affect the conditions under which tuff soil materials can be used in construction.