Effects of Portland Cement and Quicklime on Physical and Mechanical Characteristics of Earth Concrete

Earth has been widely used as a construction material, especially in southern Algeria. Several of these ancient structures are classified as protected earthen heritages, some of which were built with the mud bricks technique and suffer significant damages due to Saharan climate conditions, the carelessness of individuals, besides the lack of knowledge on the behavior of these structures. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding. In this context, the physical and mechanical characteristics of earth concrete were examined, with different combinations of Portland cement and quicklime as stabilizers. The experimental results show that stabilization has positively affected the earth concrete's behavior, which allowed better improvement of both compressive and bending strengths, as well as a better reduction in shrinkage by using Portland cement. In contrast, capillary water absorption and water absorption by immersion were well enhanced by adding quicklime. Thus, stabilization using both binders in combination for mixtures with 3%PC+6%QL and 6%PC+3%QL is more effective for improving physical and mechanical properties than incorporating a single stabilizer.