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COMPRESSED STABILIZED
EARTH BLOCKS (CSEB)

TO BUILT A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

 WHAT ARE CSEB?
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CSEB are a mix of soil, sand, a stabilizer (often 5% of cement), and water.

They are compressed in a press (manual or motorised) and cured during 28 days.

They can reach a dry compressive strength of 9 MPa (in Auroville).

Top soil is removed and only the deeper soil is extracted.

CSEB are used on all continents.

CSEB have been a major tool for the renaissance of earth architecture worldwide.

It is today the earth technology which is used the most worldwide and in Auroville.

The Auroville Earth Institute became one of the world leader for the research and
development of CSEB technology.
 MACHINERY FOR CSEB WORLDWIDE
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Many manual or motorised presses have been researched and developed worldwide.

Cinvaram Brepak Unata Elson block Master

Auram 240 Auram 3000 Terstaram

Altec Pact 500 Terrablock Hydraform

 MACHINERY FOR CSEB AUROVILLE WITH AURAM EQUIPMENT
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Auram press 3000. Productivity: 125 B/h Production of ~ 70 blocks with 18 moulds.

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 MACHINERY FOR CSEB AUROVILLE WITH AURAM EQUIPMENT
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Auram Press 4000 and Auramix 5000: Productivity: 300 B/h

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 MACHINERY FOR CSEB AUROVILLE WITH AURAM EQUIPMENT
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Auram Press 6000: Productivity: 600 B/h

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 VERSATILITY OF BLOCK TYPES
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The Auram press 3000 can produce about 70 different blocks with 18 moulds

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 Several series of blocks have been developed for various uses:
Solid blocks for load bearing masonry Hollow blocks for load bearing masonry
Hollow interlocking blocks for disaster resistance
Hourdi for floors & roofs Round blocks for columns Tiles and special blocks
Variety of blocks produced by the Auram Press 3000 8
 TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CSEB WITH 5% CEMENT
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Dry compressive strength c (After 28 days curing) 5 to 9 MPa

Wet compressive strength c (After 28 days curing) 3 to 4 MPa (after 24 h. immersion)
Dry bending strength b (After 28 days curing) 0.5 to 1 MPa
Dry shear strength (After 28 days curing) 0.4 to 0.6 MPa
Water absorption by weight (After 28 days curing) 8 to 12 % (after 24 h. immersion)
Apparent bulk density (dry) 1,800 to 2,000 kg/m3
572.58 MJ / m3
Embodied energy per m3 of raw material
= 10.7 less than country fired bricks
51.53 Kg / m3
Pollution emission (CO2)
= 12.5 less than country fired bricks
1 MPa = 10.197 Kg/cm2
All data with Auroville soil, after 28 days curing.
These mechanical characteristics are influenced by:
- The soil quality, the compression ratio and the force applied by the press.
- The quality of manufacturing and especially curing The quality and percentage of stabilizer.
 CSEB PROMOTE ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT
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NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Local authorities and people can manage their own natural resources
Quarries resulting from sourcing soil on site can be rehabilitated into:
Underground rainwater harvesting tanks, reservoirs
Surface rainwater harvesting by percolation and Landscaping features.
Wastewater treatment systems
Basement floors
They are beneficial to the development to the place if well planned.
But they can be disastrous if unplanned.
Indispensable to foresee first a rehabilitation plan for the quarry.
 CSEB PROMOTE ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Production of CSEB is a job creation opportunities
This technology allows unskilled and/or unemployed people to learn a skill.
Therefore to get a job and rise in the social values.
CSEB production is a labour intensive technology.
Labour cost is ~ 40 to 45 % of the block production (manual process).
Labour cost is ~ 65% of the building cost (using vaults and domes).
Proper human resource management is the first key to sustainable development.
 CSEB ARE ECO-FRIENDLY
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ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF CSEB CARBON EMISSIONS OF CSEB

CSEB 240 572

Concrete Solid
1,156 x2
Blocks

Kiln (Wire Cut) 2,247 x4 643

Country Fired
6,122 51.5
Brick
Embodied Energy (Mj/m3 of building units)

CSEB limit deforestation

Firewood is not required to produce CSEB.
 CSEB ARE COST EFFECTIVE
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CSEB ARE CHEAPER THAN COUNTRY FIRED BRICKS

15 Rs. per block 24 x 24 x 9 cm (2,893 RS./m3)
5 Rs. per fired brick 23 x 10 x 7 cm (3,416 RS./m3)
Less and cheaper mortar is needed (1: 4: 8 instead of 1: 4)
No need of plaster: saving material and labour
The labor is including: preparing the mortar / plaster and laying the bricks / blocks
Cost comparison of a fired brick and CSEB wall of 1m2

1m2 of wall with Fired Bricks 351.1 192.4 107.4 426.5 Material
Mortar
Plaster
1m2 of wall with CSEB 240 416 41 205.8
Labor

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Cost in Rs/m3
Value Auroville, September 2012
 CSEB CAN BE USED FOR DISASTER RESISTANCE
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DISASTER RESISTANCE
Reinforced masonry with CSEB
MINE house Istanbul
Built in a week during the City
Summit Habitat 1996
Aum House , built in 66 hours with
18 men at New Delhi in 1999
Gold Medal by ITPO
Aum House, built in 62 hours with
20 men in Gujarat in 2001
Starting point of the
rehabilitation after the
earthquake

Tsunami house Tamil Nadu built after the tsunami in 2004

First prize of a national contest
 CSEB CAN BE USED FOR DISASTER RESISTANCE
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DISASTER RESISTANCE

GOVERNMENT APPROVAL
The hollow interlocking blocks technology for disaster resistance, developed by the
Auroville Earth Institute, has been approved by:

The government of Gujarat (GSDMA), India, for the rehabilitation of the zones affected by
the January 2001 earthquake in Kutch district.
2 floors buildings are allowed.

The government of Iran (Housing Foundation) for the rehabilitation of the zones affected
by the December 2003 earthquake in Bam.
2 floors buildings are allowed (8 m).

The government of Tamil Nadu (Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation), India, for the
reconstruction of the zones affected by the December 2004 Indonesian tsunami.
 EARTH BASED BUILDING TECHNIQUES
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RESEARCH ON STABILISED EARTH TECHNOLOGIES

Composite column Stabilised earth waterproofing Stabilised rammed earth

walls

Composite beams Composite beams Stabilised rammed earth foundation

 Auroville, Visitors Centre 1989 to 1992
1992 Hassan Fathy International Award for Architecture for the Poor 17
Pondicherry, Shakti Vihar School 1992 to 1994
School for day and night classes for 700 children 18
Pondicherry, Shakti Vihar School 1992 to 1994
School for day and night classes for 700 children 19
Near Auroville, Sri Karneshwar Nataraja Temple 2006
Pointed cloister dome 6 m span and pyramid 20
Sri Karneshwar Nataraja Temple
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 First prize
2010 Award For Urban Heritage
Al-Turath Foundation, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Al Medy Mosque 2004

420 m2, 18.05 m high minaret, built in 7 weeks 22
 CSEB CAN BE USED FOR VAULTED STRUCTURES
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BUILDING WITH ARCHES, VAULTS AND DOMES (AVD)

Egyptian vault Catenary vault Groined dome

Segmental vault, 10.35 m span Bucket pointed vault Pointed groined vault

Equilateral vault House Dome 22.16 m

 Semicircular vault at the Auroville Earth Institute
6 m span, 11 m long, 36.5 to 7 cm thick ~ 40 tons, built in 37 days by 4 masons 24
House at the Auroville Earth Institute, with the equilateral vault
3.6 m span, 3.12 m rise, 34 to 7 cm thick, built in 36 days by 4 masons 25
 Segmental vault at Deepanam School, Auroville
10.35 m span, 2.25 m rise, 17.7 & 14 cm thick, ~ 30 tons, built in 3 weeks by 4 masons 26
CSEB ARE LOAD BEARING TO BUILD MULTI-FLOOR BUILDINGS
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BUILDING MULTI FLOORS WITH CSEB (ENTIRELY LOAD BEARING)

Vikas apartments on 4 floors Walls: 24 cm thick, maximum 13.4 m high No concrete columns
Floors and roofs are built with CSEB vaults and domes

Vikas community was a finalist for the 2000 World Habitat Award (Building and Social Housing Foundation, UK)
Auroville, Realization apartments 2010 & 2011
8 Apartments on three floors 28
Auroville, 13 apartments on 4 floors at Vikas Community 1997 & 1998
Vikas Community was a finalist for the 2000 World Habitat Award 29
 AUROVILLE EARTH INSTITUTE
UNESCO Chair "Earthen Architecture"
BASIN South Asia

Auroshilpam, 605 101 Auroville, TN India

Tel.: +91 (0) 413 - 262 3064 / 262 3330 Fax: +91 (0) 413 - 262 2886
Email: earthinstitute@auroville.org.in Website: www.earth-auroville.com