INFLUENCE OF CEMENT AND COIR FIBER ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF RAMMED EARTH

Rammed earth, a construction is widely used globally due to its ease of availability of materials and mechanical performance. Stabilization is necessary in rammed earth construction to enhance the binding of the soil particles which in turn increases the mechanical and durability properties of rammed earth. The purpose of this research is to determine the optimum percentage of chemically treated Coir fiber dust and cement for rammed earth. Fibers and cement can be easily integrated into the soil mixture, increasing the wall’s strength and durability. Compressive, flexural, and tensile strength tests were performed on the samples, and failure patterns were studied. Cement is varied in percentages of 6%, 9% and 12% and coir fiber dust (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 percent by weight of soil) were added as stabilizer and reinforcement. To assess the optimum strength and durability, it is recommended to utilize 0.2 percent fiber content Coir fiber dust, along with 9 percent cement by weight of soil. It is observed that with the cement and fiber dust incorporation there has been increase in the mechanical properties of rammed earth.