Physico-mechanical properties of compressed earth blocks stabilized with recycled waste glass particles and lime

There is an increased demand for the use of recycled industrial waste for use as sustainable building and construction materials. Recycled glass is a common waste material that has the potential to be used in earth blocks. This study, therefore, assessed the physico-mechanical properties of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with recycled waste glass particles (RWGP) and lime to determine the influence that the glass particles and lime have on the CEBs. An experimental approach was followed to prepare CEBs with 0 to 25% RWGP at 5% intervals and a 10% constant lime, and tested for water absorption, compressive strength, tensile strength, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) after curing for 7 to 28 days. The 5% RWGP and lime CEBs achieved the lowest water absorption of 3.06% as compared with the unstabilized specimens of 8.60%, which represents about 181% water absorption reduction. The highest compressive strength of 5.77 MPa was achieved at 10% RWGP and lime CEBs, while the unstabilized specimens achieved 3.03 MPa at 28 days of curing, representing about 90% improvement. The highest tensile strength of 0.52 MPa was achieved at 10% RWGP and lime CEBs, while the unstabilized specimens achieved 0.40 MPa at 28 days of curing, which represents a 30% improvement. There was a strong positive relationship between the tensile strength and the compressive strength of the CEBs, with R2 of 0.7362 to 0.9547, and a range of 7.58 to 10.16 times of tensile strength to compressive strength. The microstructural analysis showed no visible cracks in the 10% RWGP and lime specimens, while the 25% RWGP and lime specimens showed micro-cracks in the specimens. The study concludes that the incorporation of RWGP and lime positively and significantly influenced the physico-mechanical properties of the CEBs, and recommends that manufacturers use 10% RWGP and 10% lime for producing CEBs. Future studies could assess the thermal and durability properties of CEBs stabilized with RWGP and lime.