Influence de la teneur en ciment sur les propriétés thermomécaniques des blocs d’argile comprimée et stabilisée

Ce travail vise à déterminer la résistance à la compression et la conductivité thermique des blocs à base d’argile comprimée et stabilisée au ciment d’une part et à étudier la variation de ces propriétés en fonction de la teneur en ciment d’autre part. Les mesures réalisées indiquent que la résistance des blocs sans ciment est de 3,7 MPa par « voie sèche » pour une conductivité thermique de 0,91 Wm-1K-1 (déterminée à l’aide d’un fluxmètre). L’incorporation de ciment entraine une variation de ces deux propriétés. Ainsi on note d’abord une baisse de la résistance suivie d’une augmentation au delà de 4% de ciment. Toutefois la conductivité thermique des blocs ayant les teneurs en ciment les plus importantes reste proche de celle des blocs sans ciment.Mots-clés: bloc d’argile, ciment portland, stabilisation, résistance en compression, conductivité thermique. Influence of cement content on the thermomechanical properties of compressed and stabilized clay blocks This work aims to determine the compressive strength and the thermal conductivity of clay compressed blocks and stabilized with cement and to study the influence of the cement ratio on these characteristics of the blocks. The resistance of blocks without cement is (determined at dry state) is 3.7 MPa and measurements made with a fluxmeter show that the thermal conductivity of these blocks is 0,91 Wm-1 K-1. The results show also that the thermal conductivity and the compressive strength of the blocks vary according to the cement ratio. However the thermal conductivity of the blocks with high cement ratio is close to that of the blocks without cement.Keywords: clay blocks, Portland cement, stabilization, compressive strength, thermal conductivity

Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks

Unfired clay bricks are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional masonry materials such as fired bricks and concrete blocks but their use is currently limited by their relatively poor mechanical and durability properties. While products like cement and lime are commonly added to earthen materials in an effort to improve their physical performance, these additives can also have a negative influence on the overall environmental impact. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of alginate, a natural and renewable biopolymer obtained from brown seaweeds, as an admixture for unfired clay blocks. A total of 5 different alginates have been investigated and combined with 3 soil compositions to create prototype specimens which have then been characterised and compared in relation to flexural and compressive strength, microstructure, abrasive strength and hygroscopic behaviour. The results demonstrate that improvements in mechanical strength are dependent on the type of alginate used and the composition of the soil. The greatest increase in compressive strength is achieved using an alginate sourced from the Laminaria Hyperborea seaweed and offers a value more than double that of the equivalent control specimen. Increases in the alginate dosage do not necessarily lead to an increase in strength suggesting that there is an optimum concentration at which strength improvement is most effective