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ABSTRACT
Cement-soil mortars are commonly used for the construction of soil-cement block masonry. The paper focuses on an experimental study
in understanding the various characteristics of cement soil mortars in fresh and hardened state. Workability, strength, water retentivity,
shrinkage and stress-strain characteristics of cement soil mortars and bond strength of soil-cement block couplets using such mortars are
examined. Characteristics of 1:6 cement mortar and 1:1:6 cement lime mortar are also examined for the purposes of comparison.
Workability of mortars has been quantified by conducting flow table tests. Results of flow values obtained for mortars from various
construction sites are reported. There is a linear relationship between flow and water cement ratio of the mortars. Flow increases with
increase in water-cement ratio. Very high flow value of 130% can be achieved for cement soil mortars and cement lime mortars. Reduction
in flow value from 100% to 80% leads to increase in strength and modulus of mortars. Clay fraction of the mortar mix controls the flow,
strength, density, shrinkage value and modulus of cement soil mortars. Cement-soil mortars lead to better tensile bond strength for soil-
cement block couplets when compared to the cement mortar and cement lime mortar.
1359-5997 9 2004 RILEM. All rights reserved.
Rt~SUMI~
Les mortiers de terre et ciment sont g~n~ralement utilis~s dans la construction de mafonneries en blocs de terre et ciment. Cet article
f a i t Jtat d'une ~tude expdrimentale visant gl comprendre les diverses caract~ristiques des mortiers de terre et ciment h l '~tat frais et durci.
Les caract~ristiques de viabilitY, r~sistance, r~tention d'eau, retrait et contrainte-d~formation des mortiers de terre et ciment et la
rOsistance d'adh~sion de couplets de blocs de terre et ciment utilisant de tels mortiers sont examinkes. Les caractOristiques du mortier de
ciment (1:6) et du mortier de chaux et ciment (t: 1.'6) sont dgalement examinees gl titre de comparaison. La viabilitJ des mortiers a Ot~
quantifiOe gl l'aide d'essais d'Otalement h la table h chocs. Les r~sultats des valeurs de f l u x obtenues pour les mortiers de divers sites de
construction sont rapport~s. I1 existe une relation lin~aire entre le f l u x et le rapport eau/ciment des mortiers. Le f l u x s 'accrolt h mesure que
le rapport eau/ciment augmente. La trOs haute valeur de f l u x de 130% p e u t ~tre atteinte p o u r les mortiers de terre et ciment et les mortiers
de chaux et ciment. La rdduction de la valeur de f l u x de 100 gl 80% conduit h u n accroissement de la r~sistance et du modulus des mortiers.
Une fraction d'argile du m~lange de mortier contrdle valeur et modulus p o u r le flux, la rOsistance, la densitY, le retrait des mortiers de
terre et ciment. Les mortiers de terre et ciment m~nent gl une meilleure r~sistance d'adhOsion en tension p o u r les couplets de blocs de terre
et ciment p a r rapport au mortier de ciment et au mortier de chaux.
extensively used for the construction o f load bearing made to examine the various characteristics (workability/flow,
masonry in India and elsewhere. There are more than water retentivity, compressive strength, drying shrinkage and
12,000 buildings using soil-cement blocks in India [1]. stress strain relationship) o f cement-soil mortars through an
Composite mortars like cement-soil mortars are commonly experimental investigation. Properties o f conventional cement
used for such constructions. The information on the mortar and cement-lime mortar are also determined for the
characteristics o f cement soil mortars is very scanty. The purpose o f comparison. Characteristics o f mortars such as
present study focuses on characterizing the properties o f workability/flow, compressive strength, water retentivity,
cement-soil mortars in fresh and hardened state. drying shrinkage, and stress strain relationships have been
examined. Also, the tensile bond strength o f soil-cement block
couplets is examined using cement-soil mortar, cement mortar
2. EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS AND and cement-lime mortar.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
4.4 D r y i n g s h r i n k a g e value o f m o r t a r
The drying shrinkage o f mortar is determined by
following the procedure given in A S T M C 1148-92a [12].
The drying shrinkage o f the mortar, as determined by this
method, is the measure o f decrease in length o f test
specimen in unrestrained condition, under drying condition,
after an initial period o f curing. The average o f five mortar
specimens is reported as drying shrinkage value o f mortar
as specified by A S T M C 1148-92a [12].
4.5 Stress-strain c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f m o r t a r s
Stress-strain relationships for various mortars are obtained
by testing mortar prism specimen o f size 150 X 150 X Fig. 2 - A typical flow pattern for cement-soil mortar at a flow
value of 100%.
300 ram, cast in wooden moulds. The
prisms are cured for a period of 28 days Table 3 - Flow values, W/C ratio and water content for cement-soil
under moist burlap. The prisms after 28 mortars
days curing are soaked in water for a Mortar Flow values (%)
period o f 48 hours prior to testing. Prisms type 40 80 100 110 130
are tested in a compression testing W/C W.C. W/C W.C. W/C W.C. W/C W.C. W/C W.C.
machine having a constant piston CSMAI 3.60 17.0 4.10 19.4 4.30 20.5 4.50 21.4 4.65 22.2
displacement rate o f 1.25mm per minute. CSM BI 1.65 15.1 1.85 17.6 2.00 18.2 2.20 20.2 2.30 21.6
The longitudinal strains are measured CSMC1 1.25 16.2 1.40 17.0 1.48 19.4 1.60 21,0 1.65 21.6
using Demec gauge of 200 mm gauge CSMA2 3.90 19.0 4.34 21.4 4.60 22.4 4.90 23.6 5.00 24.2
length. Three specimens were tested for CSMB2 2.05 18.6 2.30 20.6 2.40 21.8 2.60 23.6 2.70 24.2
each mortar proportion and the mean CSMC2 1.42 18.5 1,60 20.6 1.68 21.8 1.80 23.2 1.90 23.8
CSMA3 5.30 25.2 6.10 29.0 6.60 31.5 7.10 33.6 7.30 34.4
values are reported.
CSMB3 2.78 25.0 3.10 28.5 3.25 30.5 3.40 31.6 3.50 32.4
CSMC3 1.93 25.2 2.15 27.8 2.35 30.6 2.40 31.6 2.50 32.4
5. R E S U L T S A N D CSMA4 7.30 33.4 8.40 38.1 8.90 41.4 9.40 44.6 9.60 45.6
CSMB4 3.80 34.0 4.10 38.2 4.45 40.4 4.80 43.5 5.00 45.2
DISCUSSION CSMC4 2.50 34.5 2.90 38,8 3.10 41.6 3.20 44.0 3.40 44.8
W/C: Water-cement ratio of the mortar, W.C.: Total water content of the mortar mix
Various characteristics o f mortars are
determined by adopting test procedures as detailed in 200
previous sections. Details o f the results obtained from the 180 o 5 % Cement content (CSMA2)
experimental studies are discussed in the following 160
9 10 % C e m e n t c o n t e n t ( C S M B 2 )
sections. 9 15 % Cement content (CSMC2)
140
5.1 F l o w c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f m o r t a r s g 120
3 loo
O
A typical flow pattern for cement-soil mortar at a flow ,T 80
value o f 100% is shown in Fig. 2. For a set of selected flow
6O
values, variation in water-cement ratio and water content of the
40
mortar mix for cement-soil mortars is tabulated in Table 3.
Typical relationships of mortar flow with water-cement ratio 20
10.5
160 Flow of Mortar at 100%
o 5 % Cement content 9 cement
140 9 10 % C e m e n t c o n t e n t .9
7.5
::0~
120 9 15%e e ~ ~ . . ~
100 6"
E
e 4.5-
o .1/,
L
E 60 3
40
1.5
20
0 ! w i i i i
0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28
16 t8 20 22 24 26
Clay fraction of the mortar m i x (%)
Total water content of the mix (%)
i..O..-
5 % cement 120
A 40
+ 10% cement / / 100
.x
E 35 80
o
It. 60
o 9 CM1
E 30 40
9 CLM1
20
e-
25 0
o
1 1.5 2 2.5
Fig. 5 - Variation in water content of mortar mixes with clay 140 9 CM1 .~
fraction. 120
10 100
Flow of mortar at 100%
80
. 4% clay fraction o
i, 60
--0--8% clay fraction
o
.m
-" 16% clay fraction
40
24% clay fraction
20
E
0)
r 0
k. 4 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
T o t a l w a t e r c o n t e n t o f t h e m i x (%)
cement ratio or water content of the mortar mix for all the is a linear relationship between flow value and water
proportions o f mortars tried (typical plots shown in Figs. 3 cement ratio or water content of the mortar mix. The flow
and 4). Similar trends can be seen for cement-soil mortar value is very sensitive to the water cement ratio or water
with other clay fractions. The linear relationships shown content of the mix. For example in the case o f cement
in Fig. 3 have steep slope, indicating drastic increase in mortar, there is a three-fold increase in flow values for
the flow for a small change in water-cement ratio, about 25%-30% increase in water cement ratio or total
whereas the plots of flow value versus total water content water content of the mix. Similar trend is observed for
o f the mortar mix as shown in Fig. 4 depict a different cement soil mortar as discussed earlier.
behaviour. Here the lines for different cement contents of b) Cement-lime mortars require higher water-cement ratio
the mortar merge into one single line. This indicates that it or water content when compared to cement-mortars, to
is the clay content o f the mix, which decides water content achieve any given flow value o f less than 100%. At
required in achieving a definite flow value rather than the 100% flow both the mortars require the same water
cement content o f the mix. For example, for a flow value content (Fig. 9). For cement mortar, the maximum
o f 100%, the plot o f water content of the mortar mix value o f flow achieved is 107% without segregation,
versus clay fraction (Fig. 5) for different cement content whereas in the case o f cement-lime mortar, flow o f the
merge into one line. Since clay particles present in soil order o f 130% can be attained.
have a tendency to hold water, it is the clay fraction of the c) The amount o f water required to achieve 100% flow is
mix, which dominates the water requirement in the mortar the same for cement mortar, cement-lime mortar and
mix, instead of cement content in the case of cement-soil cement-soil mortar having clay fraction less than 8%,
mortars. To achieve 100% flow, the water requirement whereas in the case o f cement-soil mortar having
goes up by 50% when clay fraction o f the cement-soil higher clay fraction, water requirement is more. For
mortar is doubled irrespective of the cement content of the example to achieve 100% flow, the water content of
mix. the mortar mix is about 21% for cement mortar,
b) Very high flow values o f the order o f 130% can be cement-lime mortar and cement-soil mortar with low
achieved at higher water-cement ratio or water content clay fraction (< 8%), whereas cement-soil mortar with
o f the mortar mix for cement-soil mortars without any 16% and 24% clay require a water content o f 31% and
segregation o f constituent materials. 42% respectively. Thus in the case o f cement-soil
c) The flow is very sensitive to the water-cement ratio or mortars, the clay fraction o f mortar mix rather than the
water content o f the mortar mix. There is a three-fold cement content o f the mix controls the water
increase in flow values for about 25%-30% increase in requirement to achieve a specified flow.
water-cement ratio or water content of the mix in almost
all the cases for cement-soil mortars. 5.2 Compressive strength and water retentivity
To achieve a definite flow value (say 100%), the water-
cement ratio decreases with the increase in cement content of Results o f compressive strength, dry density and water
the mortar mix as shown in Fig. 6. As the cement content of retentivity o f various mortar proportions are given in
the mortar mix is increased from 5% to 15%, water-cement Table 4, Variation in compressive strength o f cement-soil
ratio decreases by more than half
to achieve 100% flow, whereas the T a b l e 4 - Strength, w a t e r retentivity and stress strain characteristics o f c e m e n t -
water-cement ratio increases with soil mortars
increase in clay fraction of the Mortar Flow Water Dry Wet Water Initial Ultimate
mortar mix to achieve a definite proportion of cement density compressive retentivity tangent strain
flow value (say 100%), as mortar ratio (gm/cm 3) strength (%) modulus value
illustrated in Fig. 7. This may be
(%) (MPa) (MPa)
CSMA1 100 4.35 1.87 1.54 78
attributed to the fact that clay
CSMA2 100 4.60 1.78 1.14 88
particles present in the mortar have
CSMA3 100 6.58 1,57 0.55 89
a tendency to hold water and as the CSMA4 100 8.80 NIL 89
clay fraction of the mortar is CSMB1 100 1.96 1.92 3.42 84 3965 0.0044
increased the water requirement of CSMB2 100 2.41 1.80 2.70 88 1990 0.0031
the mortar mix increases, to CSMB3 100 3.25 1.62 1.92 90 1236 0.0039
achieve a definite flow value. CSMB4 100 4.46 1.36 1.26 90
CSMC1 100 1.49 2.00 6.76 80 10195 0.0018
5.1.2 C e m e n t m o r t a r and
CSMC2 100 1.68 1.85 5.40 87 5401 0.0017
cement lime mortar
CSMC3 100 2.35 1.63 2.70 88 2280 0.0023
a) Flow value increases with the CSMC4 100 3.08 1.37 2.00 90
increase in water cement ratio CSMB5 100 3.08 1.72 2.12 92 1348 0.0022
or the water content of the CSMC5 100 2.13 1.74 3.19 92 2510 0.0022
mortar mix for both cement CM1 100 1.65 1.90 5.40 74 4534 0.0040
mortar and cement-lime CLM1 100 1.83 1.90 5.94 82 4820 0.0026
CM2 80 1.5 1.96 6.00 81 10946 0.0019
mortar (Figs. 8 and 9). There
CLM2 80 1.7 1.94 6.21 85 11201 0.0021
B. V. Venkatarama Reddy, A. Gupta /Materials and Structures 38 (2005) 639-650 645
h) For a flow value of 100% the compressive strength of Dying duration (days)
cement-soil mortar with clay fraction less than 10%,
containing 15% cement is in the range of 5.0MPa to Fig. 13 - Variation in drying shrinkage with drying duration
for various mortars.
6.0MPa. Similar strength values are achieved with
cement mortar (1 cement: 6 sand) and cement-lime
1.4
mortar (1 cement: 1 lime: 6 sand). It is to be noted here A Flow of Mortar is 100%
that cement-soil mortar containing 15% cement, 1 : 6 1.2 J
cement mortar and 1:1:6 cement-lime mortar, have :~ 10% Cement content / . .
o~
nearly similar percentage of cement in the mortar mix. 1 ii
i) At a flow of 100% cement-soil mortars posses better t.
water retentivity when compared to cement mortar and 0.8
cement-lime mortar. For example, cement-soil mortar
c
with 8% clay fraction has water retentivity of about 9~ 0.6
88%, whereas cement mortar and cement-lime mortar "o
have water retentivity of 74% and 82%, respectively. ~0.4
E
.m
"~ 0.2
5.3 Drying shrinkage of mortars
Shrinkage that takes place during hardening of the mortar 0 i ! m i i i
Table 6 - Tensile bond strength for various mortar and mortars possess nearly similar percentage of cement
block combinations in the mortar mix.
Soil-cement block Tensile bond strength (MPa) c) At a flow value of 100% cement-soil mortars posses
Type Compressive CM 1 CLM 1 Cement-soil mortar better water retentivity when compared to cement
strength CSMB3 CSMC3 mortar and cement-lime mortar. For example,
(MPa) cement-soil mortar with 8% clay fraction have water
B1 3.13 0.09 0.13 0.11 0.14 retentivity of about 88%, whereas cement mortar and
B2 5.63 0.16 0.18 0.13 0.20 cement-lime mortar have water retentivity of 74%
B3 7.19 0.181 0.233 0.14 0.246 and 82% respectively.
Flow value for mortar is at 100%, d) Cement mortar, cement-lime mortar and cement-soil
Soil-cement block size: 305 X 145 X 100mm mortar with 15% cement content (8% clay fraction)
have modulus values in the range of 4500 to
mortar (I Cement : 6 Sand) mad Cement-lime mortar (1 5500MPa when the mortar flow is at 100%. It is to be
Cement : 1 Lime : 6 Sand) are also tried. Table 6 gives the noted here that these mortars posses nearly same
details of tensile bond strength values for various combinations percentage of cement in the mortar mix. Cement soil
of blocks and mortars while keeping the mortar flow at 100%. mortar with higher clay content results in softer
The results shown in Table 6 clearly indicate that cement-soil mortars having lower modulus values.
mortars (CSMC3) having 15% cement show better e) The drying shrinkage values for cement-soil mortars
performance in bond strength values as compared to cement are very high as compared to cement mortar and
mortar and cement-lime mortar. There is a significant increase cement-lime mortar. The drying shrinkage of cement
(in the range of 25% to 55%) in tensile bond strength values of mortar and cement-lime mortar attains a constant value
soil-cement block couplets using cement-soil mortars in about 3 to 4 days of drying time, whereas for
(CSMC3) as compared to cement mortar. On the other hand, a cement-soil mortars it is 10-12 days.
marginal increase in bond strength of 7 to 10% is observed f) The cement-soil mortars (containing 15% cement
using cement-soil mortar when compared to cement-lime content) give higher tensile bond strength for soil-
mortar. Leaner cement soil mortar with 10% cement content cement block masonry as compared to 1:6 cement
(CSMB3) shows tensile bond strengths comparable to those mortar and 1:1:6 cement-lime mortar.
obtained using 1:6 cement mortar (CM1). Thus use of cement
soil mortars for soil-cement block masonry is more appropriate
than using pure cement mortars. It is worthwhile to make a 8. S U M M A R Y AND CONCLUSIONS
detailed study on bond and compressive strength of soil-
cement block masonry using cement soil mortars. Cement-soil mortars are used for the construction of soil-
cement block masonry. Workability, strength, water
retentivity, shrinkage and stress-strain characteristics of
7. C O M P A R I S O N OF C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S cement soil mortars and bond strength of soil-cement block
OF CEMENT-SOIL M O R T A R , C E M E N T couplets using such mortars are examined in this study.
M O R T A R AND C E M E N T - L I M E M O R T A R Characteristics of 1:6 cement mortar and 1:1:6 cement lime
mortar are also examined for the purposes of comparison.
Various characteristics of cement soil mortar, cement Major conclusions of the study are summarized below.
mortar and cement lime mortar were examined. A comparison a) Workability of mortars has been quantified by conducting
of the salient features of these mortars is given below. flow table tests. Measurement of flow values for cement
a) Composite mortars like cement-soil mortar and mortars and cement-soil mortars collected from various
cement-lime mortar can attain flow values of the order construction sites indicate a range of flow values from
of 130%, without segregation of constituent materials, 86% to 119%. This will workout to an average flow
whereas for pure cement mortars (1:6), the maximum value of about 100%. Tests on various mortars indicate a
flow value achievable is 107%. For any given flow linear relationship between flow and water cement ratio
value the water requirement of mortar is decided by the as well as total water content of the mortar. Flow
clay fraction of the mortar mix rather than the cement increases with increase in water-cement ratio and water
content for cement-soil mortar. On the other hand in content of the mortar. Very high flow value of 130% can
the case of cement mortar and cement-lime mortar, be achieved for cement soil mortars and cement lime
water requirement is controlled by the cement mortars, whereas the maximum flow achieved for 1:6
content/water cement ratio of mortar mix. cement mortar is 107%. Thus cement soil mortars
b) For a flow value of 100% (normally used for masonry possess better workability characteristics than pure
construction), the compressive strength of cement-soil cement mortars of 1:6 proportions.
mortar with clay fraction less than 10%, containing b) Water content required to achieve any given flow value
15% cement content is about 5 MPa to 6 MPa. Similar is controlled by the clay fraction of the mortar mix
strength is achieved with 1:6 cement mortar and 1:1:6 rather than cement content of the cement soil mortar,
cement-lime mortar. It is to be noted here that all these whereas in the case of cement mortar and cement-lime
650 B.V. Venkatarama Reddy, A. Gupta / Materials and Structures 38 (2005) 639-650
mortar cement content o f the mix controls the water [5] Walker, P. and Stace, T., 'Properties of some cement
requirement to achieve any specified flow value. stabilized compressed earth blocks and mortars', Mater.
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wails with openings', Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Civil Engg.,
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Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 1996.
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[101 Australian Standards 1289, 'Methods of sampling and testing
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