QUALITY OF SANDCRETE HOLLOW BLOCKS PRODUCED IN BENUE STATE
QUALITY OF SANDCRETE HOLLOW BLOCKS PRODUCED IN BENUE STATE
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1997-12
Authors
YAKUBU, MOHAMMED ABBAS
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The project is a study of the physical properties of sandcrete hollow
blocks produced in Benue State for the purpose of ascertaining their
quality. Following a careful site survey of thirty block industries
across the state, five block industries were chosen for assessement
and about fifty blocks were randomly selected from each of them.
Majority of the block industries visited produced their blocks using
block moulding machines. With an average staff strength of ten,
an average of eight hundred blocks were produced daily. The
average price of each block is twenty five naira only. Quality
assessement was done in the Civil Engineering laboratory of the
University of Agriculture, Makurdi. The assessement was based
on physical tests done on the blocks in accordance with the British
Standard 2028 (Precast Concrete Blocks)/10/. The factors assessed
were wet compressive (bedded) strength, dry and wet development
strengths, density, dimensional tolerance, raw materials, mix, mixing
process, manner of curing, drying shrinkage and wetting expansion.
It was observed from the results of the tests that the 7th day wet
compressive (bedded) strength averaged 0.420N/mm2, with a maximum
of 0.45N/mm2 and a minimum of 0.40N/mm2. The 28 day dry development
strength ranged from 0.49-0.63N/mm2 with and average of 0.57N/mm2.
Apparently, these strength values are rather low when compared with
the standard codes such as the Federal Ministry of Works/12/ which
recommends 2.1 N/mm2 and the lowest individual strength of 1.7N/mm2.
However, the values are close to those obtained in related works such
as 0.58N/mm2 for dry development and 0.39N/mm2 for wet development
strengths in Kano State/9/.
Description
THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF THE M.SC/ENG (STRUCTURES) DEGREE OF
THE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.
DECEMBER, 1997
Keywords
QUALITY,, SANDCRETE,, HOLLOW BLOCKS,, BENUE STATE