Flexural Strength of High-Performance Soil-Cement: A New, Alternative, Sustainable Construction Material

Bernat Vinolas, Maria del Mar Casanovas-Rubio (), Alexandre Christofaro Silva, Juan Pedro Bretas Roa, Alan Cardek Lopes Andrade, Frank A. de Carvalho, Hugo Henrique A. Gonçalves and Helton John A. Rocha
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Bernat Vinolas: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Maria del Mar Casanovas-Rubio: Department of Management, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Alexandre Christofaro Silva: Agronomy Department, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Juan Pedro Bretas Roa: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Alan Cardek Lopes Andrade: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Frank A. de Carvalho: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Hugo Henrique A. Gonçalves: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil
Helton John A. Rocha: Institute of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri UFVJM, Diamantina 39100-000, MG, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Soil-cement is a building material that is considered low-cost and has a low environmental impact. Despite its benefits, performance optimisation studies are scarce compared to other materials such as concrete. The possibility of obtaining soil-cement with improved characteristics, such as flexural strength, would enable the increased use of this product in new applications in construction. The aim of this study is to produce high-performance soil-cement (HPSC) specimens and to evaluate and compare this new material with high-performance concrete (HPC) in terms of flexural strength. A total of 12 specimens were produced with a mixture of 23.5% (by mass) of cement with the application of 10 MPa of pressure for its compaction. The results show that, at 28 days, the specimens reached an average strength of 6.73 MPa and, at 240 days, 12.34 MPa. This means that the HPSC reached a flexural strength resistance equivalent to HPC without the need for mined materials, such as sand and gravel, or the additives adopted in some doses of HPC, such as superplasticisers. Therefore, when using local soil, HPSC can be considered an environmentally preferable alternative to HPC for many construction applications where flexural strength is a requirement.

Keywords: soil-cement; high-performance soil-cement (HPSC); high-performance concrete (HPC); flexural strength (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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