Investigation of Synthetic Versus Natural Fiber on Interlocking Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks: A Comparison of Plastic Bottle Fiber and “Teff” Straw

The increasing cost of construction materials has made it more challenging to meet the demand for housing in Ethiopia. So, there is a need for alternative, cost-effective, and sustainable materials for construction. One potential solution is to look through ancient building materials like earth or soil, which is cheap and abundant. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of plastic bottle fiber and “teff” straw fiber on interlocking compressed stabilized earth blocks. A total of 150 sample interlocking compressed stabilized earth blocks (ICSEB) were casted. Thirty ICSEBs for each of the five types of blocks which were soil and cement only, soil with cement and teff straw, soil with cement and “teff” straw top-up, soil with cement and plastic fiber, and soil with cement and rough-edged plastic fiber types of blocks. After blocks were prepared compressive strength, water absorption, and water jet tests were done. The compressive strength for “teff” straw top-up blocks result was high which is 4.08 MPa, the water absorption finding was 9.6%, and the water jet result of this ICSEB was also nil or no sign of penetration on its 28th day curing age. The performance of the “teff” straw top-up block was a good option as wall making material for low-cost housing construction.