Predictive modeling of lime-stabilized soil performance in compressed earth brick applications

Abstract

This research aims to analyze lateritic soils from the southern region of Cameroon for the production of compressed earth bricks. The study involves sixteen (16) soil samples gathered from four key locations: Mebae-Ndong, Mevae, Akak-Essatolo, and Enongal. The results show that the samples had specific gravity values ranging from 1.92 to 2.38, and particle size analysis allows us to identify these soils as sandy clay soils. These soils are predominantly very plastic silty soils and very plastic organic soils, according to Atterberg limits. The proctor tests show that the soils have bell-shaped textures, which are typical of CEB-producing soils. The best compaction of these soils occurs when the water content is between 14.5 and 20.5%. These are fine clay soils of subgroups A-7-5, according to the HRB classification. The compressive strength of lime-stabilized bricks after 28 days was measured at 3.37 MPa for Akak-Essatolo, 4.62 MPa for Mevae, 3.66 MPa for Enongal, and 5.31 MPa for Mebae-Ndong. In terms of flexural strength, the values were 0.23 MPa (Akak-Essatolo), 0.22 MPa (Mevae), 0.24 MPa (Enongal), and 0.55 MPa (Mebae-Ndong). The integration of lime stabilization and predictive analytics offers a novel pathway for optimizing CEB production in tropical regions, with implications for sustainable housing and infrastructure development.