The Effect Of Partial Replacement Of Conventional Fine Aggregate (sand) With Lateritic Soil In The Production Of Sandcrete Bricks

3.1.2 Batching and Mixing.
Batching and Mixing.
 The batching method employed in this work is the batching by volume and this is achieved as follows. one batching mortal box tagged BA  of dimensions (200mm x200mm x100mm). These batching box are dimensioned such that when 10xBA volumes of aggregates is mixed with a volume of cement, the resulting mix ratio will be 1:6 (cement: fine aggregate).
  See calculations below:
BA=200mm x 110mm x 90mm. Let BA= Volume of BA= 198000mm3 = 0.00198m3
 In the mix ratio of 1:6 (cement: fine aggregate), if the volume of cement is BA = 198000m3 , then the volume of the fine aggregate will be 6 x BA. Therefore, 6 x 1980000m3 =  0.01m3 is the volume of ten times the volume of BA (volume of box A). This is so to ease the proportioning of the different fine aggregates to be used in this work. A trial mix was first prepared with the only fine aggregates being the conventional sharp sand, i.e. without replacement with lateritic soil. The batching is such that ten (10) levelled volumes of BA of the fine aggregate were mixed with a cement. Water was gradually added, mixed, vibrated and moulded into bricks till a perfect brick was eventually moulded. This volume of water was then noted for guidance in further mix.
In the 10% replacement mix with the lateritic soils, nine (9) levelled volumes of BA of the conventional sharp sand was measured and one (1) levelled volumes of BA of lateritic soil was added. A levelled volume of BA of the cement was added and mixed with the same quantity of water as derived in the trial mix. The batch is mixed and moulded into 200 X 110X 90mm.
     In the 20% replacement mix with the lateritic soils, eight (8) levelled volumes of BA of the conventional sharp sand was measured and two (2) levelled volumes of BA of lateritic soil was added. A levelled volume of B of the cement was added and mixed with the same quantity of water derived in the trial mix. The batch was mixed and moulded as in 10% above. This was continued till the lateritic soil replaces the conventional fine aggregate, the sharp sand
by 30% because at higher replacements, the mix didn’t come out of the mould. The cement, sharp sand and the lateritic soil at all percentage replacement were thoroughly mixed before water was usually added. 48 bricks were produced for various laboratory tests which consisted of water absorption, density and compressive strength test.