EFFECT OF SEA WATER ON THE PROPERTIES OF COMPRESSED EARTH BRICKS IN MADAGASCAR

Chemical and Industrial Process Engineering

During construction, water plays an important role in modifying the water content to facilitate the compaction process. Given the scarcity of water and even the drought that is currently raging in southern Madagascar, the possibility of using seawater, which is abundant in coastal areas, is an opportunity to be taken into account in the construction industry in order to preserve potable water for consumption. This experimental study was carried out to determine the effect of the intrusion of seawater in soil compaction operations, in view of its application in the fabrication of compressed earth bricks (CEB) in the coastal regions of Madagascar. Seawater for the study was taken from the eastern coast, and soil samples were taken from the southern coastal areas of the country. The mechanical behavior of CEB, including compression and water absorption, were tested. The results obtained were compared with those found with tap water which is considered as the reference water. The use of seawater did not have any detrimental effect during the compression tests; on the contrary, its presence resulted in a significant improvement in the resistance of CEB, especially in the stabilized state. Likewise, these bricks do not absorb more than 15% of water or seawater. It was concluded that seawater could be a good stabilizing agent, especially when construction works are close to the sea.

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