PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF COMPRESSED LATERITE BLOCKS REINFORCED WITH COCONUT FIBERS AND STABILIZED WITH GUM ARABIC AS BINDER
This article aims to investigate the viability of Arabic gum as a natural stabilizer for construction materials, focusing on its role in compressed earth blocks (CEB). The study assesses how Arabic gum performs as a natural binding agent in CEB reinforced with coconut fibers, specifically examining compressive strength, dry density, and water absorption. The results emphasize that the simultaneous use of coconut fibers and Arabic gum in stabilizing compressed earth blocks (CEB) did not prove as effective as relying solely on coconut fibers to enhance compression resistance. However, the introduction of Arabic gum addresses the issue of high porosity in CEB reinforced with coconut fibers by improving water absorption and dry density. The experimental procedure includes blending lateritic soil with different ratios of coconut fibers (CF), ranging from 0 to 1% in increments of 0.2% relative to the dry weight of the lateritic soil. The determination of the optimal content of coconut fibers is based on compression strength tests, revealing that the ideal rate is 0.6%. This mixture results in a strength of 4.151 MPa after 28 days of curing, meeting the Kenyan standard (KS 02-1070: 1993). Subsequently, a fixed optimal content of 0.6% CF is established while adjusting the Arabic gum stabilizer (GA) from 0 to 10% with 2% intervals. Compression and water absorption results, in accordance with the Kenyan standard and targeted resistance, reveal that the optimal mixture proportions are 0.6% CF + 2% GA (4.143 MPa at 28 days) and 0.6% CF + 6% GA (10.017% at 28 days), respectively. In summary, the proposed stabilization approach effectively improves the comprehensive mechanical properties of compressed earth blocks (CEB) while addressing the deficiencies observed in CEB exclusively stabilized with coconut fibers.
Coconut Fibers, Gum Arabic, Water Absorption, Dry Density, Compressive Strength.