Experimental investigation on the compressive strength of cored and molded cement-stabilized rammed earth samples

This research aims to improve the insufficient and inadequate quality control techniques currently available on cement-stabilized rammed earth construction sites. To achieve this goal, the comparison between the compressive strength of cored and molded cylindrical samples have been experimentally investigated. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the additional causes influencing the strength of rammed earth samples, investigations on specimen slenderness, size, shape and capping methods have been also conducted. This study shows that in certain cases the mechanical behavior of concrete and cement-stabilized rammed earth are similar. The obtained results also indicate that the strength of cored specimens is always lower than that of molded specimens. A list of recommendations for the assessment of cement-stabilized rammed earth strength is proposed.

► Current quality control procedures for cemented rammed earth are inadequate.
► The slenderness-ratio and the friction at the platen surfaces affect the compressive strength.
► Slenderness correction factors are not unique for all rammed earth mixtures.
► The strength of molded samples is found always higher than that of cored samples.
► For an accurate strength assessment consistency in compaction is crucial.