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Assessment of the Strength of Conventionally Produced Sandcrete Blocks and

Burnt Bricks

Article · March 2018

DOI: 10.9790/1684-1502012430

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IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE)
e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 15, Issue 2 Ver. I (Mar. - Apr. 2018), PP 24-30
www.iosrjournals.org

Assessment of the Strength of Conventionally Produced

Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks
Jegele1, T.O. And Adanikin2, A.
1
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo
State.
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Jegele

Abstract: The fact remains that housing has been universally acknowledged as the second most important
human need after food. It has been of perennial interest to the world at large since its availability touches on one
of the widest spectrum of human existence. Sandcrete blocks as building materials have become so popular in
many parts of Africa that although similar to bricks in many respects, they both deserve to be treated separately.
It is therefore worthy of note that for an engineer to select one of these materials (block and brick), the fitness or
suitability of the chosen materials for the purposed structure must be considered.Tests carried out in this
research include sieve analysis, Atterberg’s limit tests (Liquid limit and plastic limit) were carried out on the
materials (sand andlaterite)to be able to ascertain certain of their properties for their intended use. About ten
pieces each of sandcrete block and burnt bricks were prepared for the study and density and compressive
strength tests were carried out on them. Findings of the study shows the samples Liquid Limit to be 32%, Plastic
Limit of 16.7%, density of the sandcrete block is 1947.47kg/m3 while the density of the burnt brick is
1823.58kg/m3.The average compressive strength of burnt brick (5.20N/mm2) was found to be higher than that of
sandcrete block (3.15N/mm2).This shows that the compressive strength is directly proportional to the crushing
load on the specimens and this is shown by the regression equation y = 0.2129x+1.5;R² = 0.9817 for the burnt
bricks and y = 0.14x + 0.7; R² = 0.9942 for the sandcrete blocks.The study therefore concludes that burnt bricks
just like sandcrete blocks is a good construction material and can be used for sustainable building construction.
Keywords: Sandcrete blocks, Burnt bricks, Density, Compressive Strength and Sustainability.
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Date of Submission: 24 -02-2018 Date of acceptance: 15-03-2018
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I. Introduction
In the last couple of years, the construction industries in Nigeria have witnessed a sharp controversy as
regards the use of some construction materials over others. By far, the most controversial of them all is that of
bricks and sandcrete blocks. While some contractors favour the use of burnt bricks, some openly criticized it in
favour of hollow sandcrete blocks. As a matter of fact, economical use of materials is an important factor to be
considered in choice making on construction materials. The right choice between burnt bricks and sandcrete
blocks as regards their compressive strength is therefore as important as the safety of the structure itself.The
importance of blocks and bricks as part of the local building materials that makes up the wall units, in a building
or construction work cannot be overemphasized.
Sandcrete blocks are also known as dense block; they normally have density of 1820 to 2080kg/m3. By
specification, it is required that height of the block does not exceed the length or six times the thickness to avoid
confusion with slabs or panels.They are used for load bearing internal wall, including work below ground level,
dam-proof, and coarse- composite walls.The main aggregate use for blocks moulding in Nigeria is sand, and this
should mainly pass through the 4.70mm zone of the B.S. test sieve.
Since the manufacture of the first clay product (brick), it has passed from one civilization to another,
experiencing modifications and improvement along the way. In Nigeria, the art of using bricks can be traced to
the eighteenth century. By the beginning of the 19 th century, the first British Governor of the then northern
Nigeria, Lord Lugard had his house built with bricks in the village of Baro (Niger State)and such houses in
towns like Kano, Kaduna, Ilorin and Baroare still intact and habitable. Compressive strength, weather resistance,
water absorption, density, hardness, weight and thermal expansion are important physical properties of clay
products (BS 3921). The raw materials and the manner and degree of burning influence the physical properties
of the products.Clay products are burnt at temperatures greater than 900 0c and are therefore fire resistant. In
addition, only clay products have a good insulation property, which contributes to its greater thermal
comfort.The physical properties of clay which makes it suitable for the manufacturer of brick, are plasticity,
tensile strength, fusibility and shrinkage amongst others. Clay must be plastic enough to permit to be shaped or
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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

moulded when mixed and they have sufficient tensile strength to maintain their shape after forming drying.
Furthermore, clays must be readily fused together to form the final product when subjected to certain
temperature ranges. It is the fusibility that results in a hard solid and substantially strong unit. Shrinkage is a
property inherent to a greater or lesser extent in all clays and those possessing the tendency to shrink are
preferred for clay products (1).
Sandcrete blocks are made up offine and coarse aggregates, water and binder which is usually cement.
(2)stated that cement, as a binder, is the most expensive input in the production of sandcrete blocks and this has
influenced producers of sandcrete blocks to produce blocks with low OPC content so as to make the sandcrete
blocks affordable to people and increase their sales profit. The material constituents, their mix, presence of
admixtures and the manufacturing process are important factors that determine the properties of sandcrete
blocks. It is noteworthy that in Nigeria, 95% of walling materials in buildings are made of sandcrete blocks (3).
Sandcrete blocks are also used in the task of transforming the actual load from the overlaying structural element
to the foundation. Sandcrete blocks possess an intrinsic low compressive strength making then susceptible to
seismic activity with research showing dismal results in the production of sandcrete blocks, which have
exhibited compressive strength far below the standard requirement for the construction of houses (4).
The soil used for burnt brick is termed Laterite and it is defined as a red tropical soil: a reddish mixture
of clayey iron and aluminium oxides and hydroxides formed by the weathering of basalt under humid, tropical
conditions (5).Burnt bricks are smaller and twice as much or more is needed to build the same house size as the
sandcrete cement blocks (6). This finding is also supported by (7) that burnt bricks used for building houses are
small in sizes and therefore require a lot of labor works to construct such houses.It can be said that there is a
huge misconception or little understanding of the limitations and advantages of the walling properties of burnt
bricks over sandcrete blocks even as the burnt brick industry is not well organized and is technically unprepared
with very little know-how about it amongst engineers, builders and homeowners.
The following are limitations and reasons of stakeholders in the building industry for their preference
for Sandcrete blocks to burnt bricks and these are lack of design data on its use according to (8) arenon-
availability of design and construction experts, initial cost of construction high, non-availability of the bricks on
the market, irregularity in shape and color, smaller and appears weaker than the Sandcrete block, flaky and algae
formation. The performance indicators used to evaluate the operation or functioning of burnt bricks as a building
material include durability, strength, sustainability, and affordability and user satisfaction of burnt bricks. (9)
stated that most soil in their natural condition lack the strength, dimensional stability and durability required for
building construction. The above indicates that soils used for burnt bricks, if not properly tested, may lack the
desired strength and hence its flimsiness. Merits of burnt bricks in building construction include brick being
permanent as once it's built it remains weather proof and age proof. Also, burnt brick doesn't get tired like man-
made materials, so it requires virtually no upkeep or repairs.Bricks also don't rust or erode, rot or decay, bend,
twist or warp (10). Bricks also are non-combustible and don't support the spread of fire, making them ideal for
building in bushfire-prone areas. Burnt bricks generally do not suffer any structural damage after a fire and can
be re-used even as load bearing walls (11).

II. Materials And Methods

The material used for the production of the hallow sandcrete blocks are sand, water and cement (OPC).
All materials ranging from sand (fine aggregates) for cement were all obtained locally. The sand used is that
passing through 2.36mm B.S. test sieve and is free from substances such as silt that can have deteriorative effect
on the block to be produced. River sand is used extensively in preference to other sources of sand, particularly
the type that is obtained on the ground surface along roadsides or from drains. The reason for this is that sand
obtained from the river is already washed and therefore, contains less silt and other impurities than sand
collected from drains, which may need washing before used.The cement used, which is the binder, is ordinary
Portland cement (OPC) under the brand name of Dangote cement. The water used was ensured a drinkable free
from impurities. In some specifications, the quality of water is covered by a clause stating that the mixing water
should be fit for drinking. Water is necessary in concrete in that it react chemically with cement to form a paste,
which binds the aggregate particles together. Such water must comply with the requirements of BS3148 (1975).
The Soil (clay) for the manufacturing of the brick was obtained from Ore-Irele road of Ondo state. The
clay was won by using hand digger and shovel because of the little output needed. The dirts were cleared off the
surface with the shovel and then dug out. Other impurities and the plant roots were removed and then scooped
the clay into bags before being transported to the production site where it was grinded by using mortal and
pestle into powdery form and certain amount of sand was added to increase the strength and rate of dryness of
the brick. A portion of these materials was taken for liquid and plastic limit determination.The tests carried out
for this research work include the following.
Sieve Analysis ofSoil Sample where the soil particles were made to pass through the sieve with
opening of known sizes. The calculation was done by the expressions in eqn. (1) and eqn. (2).

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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔 ℎ𝑡 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
(a) Retained Percentage (%) = * 100 ……... eqn. 1
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔 ℎ𝑡
(b) Passing Percentage (%)= 100 – Retained Percentage. …….. eqn. 2

Liquid Limit Determinationwas carried out and it can bedescribed as the moisture content at which a pat of
soil placed in a brass cup, cut with a standard grove and then dropped from a height of 1cm will undergo a grove
closure of 12.7mm when dropped 25 times. Simply put,it is the moisture content at which the soil stops acting as
a liquid and starts acting as a plastic solid. That is, minimum moisture content at which the soil,will flow under
its own weight. The experiment was repeated for four other times and some readings were obtained. The results
obtained were documented and tabulated as shown in Table 3.
Plastic Limit Determinationis described asthe moisture content at which a given soilbecomes too dry to be in
plastic stage as described by plastic limit test. It is arbitrarily defined as the water content at which a thread of
soil, when rolled down to a diameter of 3mm will just crumble.As further moisture content is driven from the
soil, resistance to large shearing stresses become possible until it acts as a brittle solid. The limit between plastic
and brittle failure is the plastic limit.

Compressive Strength Testas definedfrom quality control point of view determines the quality of most
bricks.For the purpose of this work the compressive test was performed for both hollow sandcrete blocks and
burnt bricks on electric crushing machine.The equipment comprises a gear whichslowly elevated the platform
on which the specimen of sandcrete block and burnt brick were placed for crushing. The bricks were properly
and carefully placed in such a way to avoid one-side crushing. The crushing strength value was read from the
indicator on the machine and the compressive strength (N/mm2) of the two specimens was respectively
determined from the expressions in eqn. (3):
Maximum Load at Failure (N)
Compressive strength of block = ………... eqn. 3
Cross −sectional area of block /brick (mm 2)
Density Test is as defined from the density of a material is the ratio of its mass to its volume. The type of
aggregates that made up the material will mainly determine the density and other properties. Other properties
such as compressive strength, durability, thermal conductivity and porosity e.t.c are dependent on density.The
respective densities of the specimens were computed using the values of the volumes and the weights of
sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks as shown by the expression in eqn.(4):
Mass of specimen (kg )
Density of specimen (kg/m3) = ………... eqn. 4
Volume of specimen (m3)

III. Results And Discussions

Results of Sieve Analysis of Sand
The major purpose of carrying out laboratory tests is to determine the suitability of the raw materials
for the production of the hollow sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks and also the fitness of the finished products
for the purpose for which they are met, that is, using hollow sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks as construction
material in a given civil engineering project.
Table 1: Sieve Analysis of Sand
S/N Sieve Number Weight Retained(gm) %Retained %Passing
1 9.5 0.00 0.00 100
2 4.76 8.10 5.60 94.40
3 2.36 22.40 15.40 84.60
4 1.18 50.60 34.80 65.20
5 0.60 90.20 62.0 38.00
6 0.30 114.20 78.50 21.50
7 0.150 135.6 93.20 6.80

Figure 1: Sieve Analysis Curve for Sand Sample

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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

Table2: Specification for Fine Aggregate and Crush Stone Dust and Sand
B.S sieve Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4
9.5- 100 100 100 100
4.76 90-100 90-100 90-100 90-100
2.36-7 60-95 75-100 85-100 95-100
1.18-14 30-70 55-90 75-100 90-100
600-25 15-34 35-59 60-79 80-100
300-52 5-20 8-30 12-40 15-50
150-100 0-10 0-10 0-10 0.15
Silt content = 0-10%
Table 1 gives the necessary data relating to the grading of sand, from which information relating to sieve
number,weight retained,percentage retained and percentage passing can be obtained. Presented in table 2 are the
specifications for aggregate that will be suitable for block making in which any result that falls into any of the
four zones is appropriate for construction work (block making).The sieve analysis result of the research work
reveals that the particle size distribution of sand used is well graded as the results obtained comply with the
grading limit of zone 2 and therefore, they are suitable for construction work.

The Results of Liquid and Plastic Limit

The results obtained for liquid limit and plastic limits test carried out on clay sample as basic raw material for
the production of the brick are respectively presented in Table 3 and Table 4.

Table 3: Determination of Liquid Limit of Soil

Test No 1 2 3 4 5
Container Number 36 6 8 5 50
Wet Soil + Container (gms) 23.6 23.0 24.7 22.2 24.8
Dry Soil + Container (gms) 21.6 23.0 24.7 22.2 22.8
Container Empty(gms) 16.0 15.5 16.1 15.5 16.0
Dry Soil (gms) 5.6 5.6 6.5 5.1 6.8
Loss of Water (gms) 2.0 1.9 2.1 1.6 2.0
Moisture Content (%) 35.5 33.9 31.4 31.4 29.4
Number of Bumps 11 17 27 37 49

Figure 2: Liquid Limit Curve of Clay Soil

Liquid limit, L.L is the moisture content that corresponds to 25 bumps. From figure 2 the L.L is found to be =
32%
Table 4: Plastic Limit Determination
Container Number 11 13
Wet soil +Container (gms) 20.0 19.9
Dry Soil + Container (gms) 19.4 19.3
Container Empty (gms) 15.6 15.9
Dry soil (gms) 3.8 3.4
Loss of Water (gms) 0.6 0.6
Moisture Content (%) 15.8 17.6
15.8 +17.6
Plastic limit(P.L) = = 16.7%
2
P.L of 16.7% gives the minimum moisture content at which the soil was rolled into a thread of 3mm diameter
without breaking.
From the Casagrande plasticity chart on soil classification, it follows that,
L.L < 35% --------- Low Plasticity

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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

L.L 35-50% ------ Medium Plasticity

L.L > 50 ------------ High Plasticity
The result from Table 3 of L.L = 32% revealed that the clay sample is of low plasticity. The effect of the low
plasticity on heating process performed on the formed brick is that, temperature need not to be too high for the
removal of moisture as compared to when the plasticity is high. It then follows that the plasticity of the clay
must not be considerably high so as to obtain brick unit of good strength.
Laboratory Test on the Finished Products (Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks)
In the course of the test, density test and compressive strength test were carried out on the finished product
(sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks).

Density Test
The density of a material is the ratio of its mass volume. The type of aggregates that made up the
material will mainly determine the density and other properties. Other properties such as compressive strength,
durability, thermal conductivity and porosity e.t.c are dependent on density.The prepared sandcrete blocks and
burnt bricks were taken at random after they have been dried to constant weight and after the bricks have been
burnt and allowed to cool for dimension measurement.The respective densities of the specimens were computed
using the values of the sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks volumes and weights according to the relations below:
Density of specimen (kg/m3) = mass of specimen (kg) divided by volume of specimen (m 3).

Table 5: Weight and Density of Sandcrete Block and Burnt Bricks

Curing Age (Days) Weight (kg) Density (kg/m3)
Sandcrete Block Burnt Bricks Sandcrete Block Burnt Bricks
7 20.32 11.3 1904.82 1801.60
14 20.80 13.48 1949.81 1814.3
21 20.90 13.59 1959.19 1829.1
28 21.08 13.74 1976.06 1849.3
Average Value 20.78 13.03 1947.47 1823.58

Figure 3: Average Weight Results of Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks

Figure 4: Density Results of Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks

From table 5, the average density for the four samples of sandcrete block 1947.47kg/m3, while that for burnt
brick is 1823.58 kg/m3. The density of special masonry as ranging between 1200 – 2400kg/m3therefore both the
sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks satisfy this condition and therefore can be used for construction purpose.
Compressive Strength Test

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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

Compressive strength of a material is defined as the ratio of the experimental failure load, P in compression to
the reloaded cross-sectional area of the material.Presented in Table 6 are the average compressive strength tests
obtained for selected test samples of sandcrete block and burnt bricks respectively.

Table 6: Average Compressive Strength of Hollow Sandcrete Blocks

Curing Age (Days) Failure Load (KN) Compressive Strength (N/mm2)
Sandcrete Block Burnt Bricks Sandcrete Block Burnt Bricks
7 76 125 1.6 3.11
14 132 140 2.78 4.45
21 172 180 3.63 5.58
28 218 200 4.60 7.72
Average Value 149.5 161.3 3.15 5.20

Figure 5: Failure Load Test Results of Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks

Figure 6: Compressive Strength Test Results of Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt Bricks

The result shows that the compressive strength of the hollow sandcrete block increases with age at
curing (Table 6) and also, the compressive strength of burnt brick is higher than that of sandcrete blocks for all
sample tested. This then implies that there is beneficial effect from the use of burnt bricks.It could also be seen
that the weight of all bricks tested was lower than that of blocks. Thisfollows that if the use of bricks is
employed, there would be reduction in the dead load that would be transferred to the soil.
It could be seen from Figure5 and 6 that the compressive strength of hollow sandcrete block increases with age
at curing. Consequently,blocks to be used for any construction work should be left for a number of days after
production for strength gain.It could be observed from figures 5 and 6thatthe average compressive strength
increases with average failure load for burnt bricks and hollow sandcrete blocks respectively. This shows that
the compressive strength is directly proportional to the crushing load on the specimens and this is shown by the
regression equation y = 0.2129x + 1.5;
R² = 0.9817 for the burnt bricks and y = 0.14x + 0.7; R² = 0.9942 for the sandcrete blocks.Figure 5 and 6
alsoindicates that density increases with average weight for both sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks. Figureshows

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 ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED SANDCRETE BLOCKS AND

that the density of block is higher than that of burnt bricks while Figure reveals vividly that the compressive
strength of burnt bricks is more than that of similar ones made from sandcrete.

IV. Conclusion
The results of this work show clearly that bricks have higher compressive strength than blocks as
construction materials.Also, because bricks are materials devoid of any hollow unlike sandcrete block, it is very
solid and this further makes it a material with a better strength than those of blocks.If bricks are well
manufactured and fired, it gives building a better aesthetics view than that of similar ones made of sandcrete
blocks. Despite all these benefits, it is quite known that buildings and structures constructed with blocks are
more common in Nigeria than those made of bricks. This may probably be as a result of cost of good quality
bricks. As it has been pointed out in this work, the cost of a unit of brick is more than that of a block of similar
unit.This therefore shows the influence the cost of a material could have on the choice or otherwise of a
particular material for construction works.Lastly, it is worth of note to say that the high cost of burnt bricks
could conclusively be traceable to the scarcity of good clay material that could be used as its raw material. As
such, few manufacturers are found to be involved in the manufacturing of bricks, which now leads to its high
cost of production. Nevertheless, considering strength aesthetic values, the use of bricks for construction works
should be employed in Nigeria.

References
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Journal of Practices and Technologies. 8, 58-70.
[3]. Sholanke, A.B., Fagbenle, O.I.,Aderonmu, A.P &Ajagbe, M.A (2015). Sandcrete Block and Brick Production in Nigeria - Prospects
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[9]. Riza, F. V., Rahman, I. A., & Zaidi, A.M.A. (2011). Preliminary Study of Compressed Stabilized Earth Brick (CSEB). Australian
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Jegele. “Assessment of the Strength of Conventionally Produced Sandcrete Blocks and Burnt
Bricks.” IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) , vol. 15, no.2,
2018, pp. 24-30

DOI: 10.9790/1684-1502012430 www.iosrjournals.org 30 | Page

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