Views: 123 , Downloads: 110 | CTR: 89 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙5
Research Paper | Civil Engineering | Ghana | Volume 4 Issue 9, September 2015
Improving the Structural Characteristics of Earth Blocks as an Input of Affordable Housing for Low-Income Northern Communities of Ghana
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Evans Zoya Kpamma
There is a high incidence of poverty in the three northern regions of Ghana, and as a result many of the inhabitants cannot afford the high cost of cement-based building materials such as sandcrete blocks. Buildings are therefore predominantly constructed with earth occasionally stabilized with cow-dung. Such buildings suffer rapid deterioration due to the prevalent adverse weather conditions and rampant events of flooding, especially in low-lying areas. To forestall this perennial problem, this study investigated the structural characteristics of earth blocks stabilized with cement and cow-dung. Three different types of earth blocks were prepared from cow-dung only, cow-dung and cement and cement only. For the cow-dung-only earth blocks, four samples were prepared with cow-dung additions of 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 % by volume. Also, for the cow-dung and cement earth blocks, four samples were prepared with cow-dung additions of 3 %, 8 %, 13 % and 18 % with 2 % cement added to each sample, whilst for the cement-only earth blocks, one sample was prepared by adding 2 % cement to earth. The blocks were cured for 28 days and tested for compressive strength. The 28-days average compre ssive strength of cow-dung-only earth blocks were 0.36N/mm2, 0.37N/mm2, 0.53N/mm2, and 0.43N/mm2 for 5 %, 10 % 15 % and 20 % cow-dung additions respectively. Similarly, for the cow-dung and 2 % cement earth blocks, the results were 0.85N/mm2, 0.95N/mm2, 0.62N/mm2, and 0.33N/mm2 for the 3 %, 8 % 13 % and 18 % cow-dung additions respectively. Finally, for the 2 % cement-only earth blocks, the compressive strength was 0.72N/mm2. It was concluded that the compressive strength of cow-dung stabilized earth blocks improves significantly when nominal amounts of cement are added, and hence should be adopted for affordable and sustainable housing delivery in the three northern regions of Ghana where cow-dung abounds.
Keywords: Affordable housing, Cement, Compressive strength, Cow-dung, Earth blocks
Edition: Volume 4 Issue 9, September 2015
Pages: 1119 - 1126
How to Cite this Article?
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Evans Zoya Kpamma, "Improving the Structural Characteristics of Earth Blocks as an Input of Affordable Housing for Low-Income Northern Communities of Ghana", International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), https://www.ijsr.net/search_index_results_paperid.php?id=SUB155894, Volume 4 Issue 9, September 2015, 1119 - 1126
123 PDF Views | 110 PDF Downloads
Similar Articles with Keyword 'Affordable housing'
Views: 166 , Downloads: 98 | CTR: 59 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙2
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, India, Volume 2 Issue 5, May 2013
Pages: 30 - 36Affordable Housing Materials & Techniques for Urban Poors
S.S.Shinde, A.B.Karankal
Views: 123 , Downloads: 110 | CTR: 89 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙5
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Ghana, Volume 4 Issue 9, September 2015
Pages: 1119 - 1126Improving the Structural Characteristics of Earth Blocks as an Input of Affordable Housing for Low-Income Northern Communities of Ghana
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Evans Zoya Kpamma
Views: 149 , Downloads: 127 | CTR: 85 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙3
M.Tech / M.E / PhD Thesis, Civil Engineering, India, Volume 6 Issue 5, May 2017
Pages: 2458 - 2462Analysis of GFRG Multistoried Buildings with Irregular Horizontal and Vertical Configurations
Sumayya M Kareem, Linda Ann Mathew
Similar Articles with Keyword 'Cement'
Views: 175 , Downloads: 117 | CTR: 67 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙4
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Iraq, Volume 6 Issue 5, May 2017
Pages: 1150 - 1157Response of Laced Reinforced Concrete Beams to Fatigue Loading
Hayfaa Dhumad Hasan Al-Abboodi, Abass Abdulmajeed Allawi, Chai Hwa Kian
Views: 188 , Downloads: 109 | CTR: 58 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙4
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Iraq, Volume 6 Issue 4, April 2017
Pages: 2398 - 2405Experimental Behavior of Laced Reinforced Concrete Beams under Static Loading
Hayfaa Dhumad Hasan Al-Abboodi, Abass Abdulmajeed Allawi, Chai Hwa Kian
Views: 581 , Downloads: 218 | CTR: 38 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙6
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, India, Volume 9 Issue 6, June 2020
Pages: 954 - 955Bamboo as a Building Material in North East of India
Nafisa Nazneen Choudhury
Views: 177 , Downloads: 45 | CTR: 25 %
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Kenya, Volume 6 Issue 3, March 2017
Pages: 1719 - 1722Compressive Strength Study of Self-Curing Concrete Using Red Clay and Black Cotton Soil Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA)
M. K. Ketter; E. O. Ong'ayo
Views: 57 , Downloads: 45 | CTR: 79 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙6
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Cameroon, Volume 10 Issue 3, March 2021
Pages: 444 - 451Mineralogical and Physicomechanical Characterization of the Raffia Vinifera Arecaceae Stem as Potential Reinforcement of Concrete
Taghin Fotso Theophile, Bomeni Isaac Yannick, Nie Noumsi Thierry Constant, Tamo Tatietse Thomas, Fagel Nathalie
Similar Articles with Keyword 'Compressive strength'
Views: 177 , Downloads: 45 | CTR: 25 %
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Kenya, Volume 6 Issue 3, March 2017
Pages: 1719 - 1722Compressive Strength Study of Self-Curing Concrete Using Red Clay and Black Cotton Soil Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA)
M. K. Ketter; E. O. Ong'ayo
Views: 57 , Downloads: 45 | CTR: 79 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙6
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Cameroon, Volume 10 Issue 3, March 2021
Pages: 444 - 451Mineralogical and Physicomechanical Characterization of the Raffia Vinifera Arecaceae Stem as Potential Reinforcement of Concrete
Taghin Fotso Theophile, Bomeni Isaac Yannick, Nie Noumsi Thierry Constant, Tamo Tatietse Thomas, Fagel Nathalie
Views: 172 , Downloads: 47 | CTR: 27 %
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, Kenya, Volume 3 Issue 9, September 2014
Pages: 2168 - 2174Compressive Strength Characteristics of Concrete-Filled Plastic Tubes Short Columns
Gathimba Naftary K.; Oyawa Walter O.; Mang'uriu Geoffrey N.
Views: 133 , Downloads: 85 | CTR: 64 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙5
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, India, Volume 9 Issue 11, November 2020
Pages: 657 - 663Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete Due to the Influence of High Volume Fly Ash
D Nissi, K Venkatesh
Views: 135 , Downloads: 104 | CTR: 77 % | Weekly Popularity: ⮙2
Research Paper, Civil Engineering, India, Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2016
Pages: 2051 - 2055Glass Fibre Reinforcements in Concrete
Tanveer Singh Ahuja, Abhinav Panwar