Experimental Characterization of Adobe Bricks Stabilized with Rice Husk and Lime for Sustainable Construction

AbstractProvision of affordable construction materials will drastically reduce the housing deficit being experienced in developing countries. This study aimed at investigating the properties of adobe bricks stabilized with rice husk waste and lime. Experiments were conducted on adobe bricks of size 140×100×100 mm3 prepared with soil, 0.25%–1% rice husk waste, and 10% lime to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the composite material. The study recorded 62% and 95% improvement, respectively, for compressive and tensile strengths at 28 days of rice husk waste and lime stabilized abode bricks over the unstabilized adobe bricks at 0.75% rice husk content. The absorption coefficient of the rice husk and lime stabilized adobe bricks was found to be between 13% and 60% better than the unstabilized adobe bricks. The rice husk adobe bricks with the addition of lime significantly improved the performance of the bricks against the action of erosion. It was also revealed that there was about 71% cost reduction in the production of the adobe bricks compared with the sandcrete bricks. This study will enhance the effective utilization of rice husk waste in building materials, reduce the cost of building materials, and eventually help to reduce the housing deficit in developing countries by using locally available materials.