​
Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks
Student in 1.101: Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering Design I at MIT
Cambridge, MA
September-December 2019
Overview
Student in 1.101: Civil and Environmental Engineering Design I
Cambridge, MA
September-December 2019
As part of the introductory civil engineering lab, I worked with a team of 4 undergraduate students to propose a project evaluating the use of different compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs) for affordable housing in Lusaka, Zambia.
Sample Preparation
Photo: 1.101 Course Staff
Before testing, we loaded each mixture into a mold...
Photo: 1.101 Course Staff
...and compressed each sample in an Instron machine
Measurement
After we compressed the bricks, we left them to cure. After curing, we measured each brick.
Photo: 1.101 Course Staff
We measured the height and diameter of each brick
We weighed each brick
Photo: 1.101 Course Staff
We then soaked half of the bricks to determine how well they would fare in the event of in the event of flooding, an environmental hazard facing structures in Lusaka.
Testing
All bricks then underwent compression testing.
Photo: Nebyu Haile
We performed compression testing on CSEBs with different stabilizer compositions to determine their compressive strengths
Results
.png)
.png)
At the end of the semester, my team presented our findings to the class and faculty in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and submitted a final report.