Performance of compacted cement-stabilised soil

Earth construction is widespread in desert and rural areas because of its abundance and cheap labour and could be an alternative construction material for low cost housing in Algeria. However, earth construction suffers from shrinkage cracking, low strength and lack of durability. This paper reports on the Algerian experience on earth construction in housing and gives an extended review of an experimental study to investigate a stabilised soil by either mechanical means such as compaction and vibration and/or chemical stabilisation by cement. Soil used was characterised by its grading curve and chemical composition. Compaction was either applied statically or dynamically by a drop weight method. A mixture of sand and cement was also tried. The effect of each method of stabilisation on shrinkage, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and water resistance are briefly reported. The experimental results showed that the best method of stabilisation of the soil investigated, which gives a good compressive strength and a better durability at a reasonable cost, could be a combination of a mechanical compaction and chemical stabilisation by cement or sand and cement up to a certain level.