Properties of masonry panel and blocks manufactured with crushed coconut shells (CCS)

Abstract

Coconut shell is often considered as solid waste though it has high strength, hardness and bond capacity. After using coconut fruit, outer shell is released to the environment as a waste material. Recently, several research studies have been carried out to investigate a possibility of utilize this waste as building material. The block manufactured using Crushed Coconut Shell (CCS) has shown acceptable structural properties and thermal performances at 28 days. Since the coconut shell is a biodegradable material it is important to investigate long term behaviour of CCS based masonry block. As masonry blocks are used as wall, an investigation on the behaviour of a wall panel is useful. In this study, long term behaviour of CCS based block and panel were investigated. Compressive strength, water absorption and thermal performances of the individual block, which was manufactured twelve months ago, were determined. These solid masonry blocks having the size of 360 mm×100 mm×170 mm were cast with a mix proportion of 1:5 cement-sand by using local block manufacturing machine. Crushed coconut shell was used as replacement for coarse aggregates (chips) with 25 % (volume basis). Internal surface and external surface temperatures of the block were measured by using thermocouples. In addition, load-displacement curve of the wall panel subjected to vertical static loading was investigated. As a further development of the block, cost analysis was carried out. From the experimental study, it was found that in long term also, the CCS based blocks exhibit the similar thermal performances as in the short term. Compressive strength and water absorption found in the current study were compared with the same properties at 28 days found in a previous study. Cost analysis study confirms that CCS based block is economical compared with the conventional block.