Types of ICEBs

Advantages
1. ICEB make load bearing walls 2. It is practical and has economic value Save cement and labor because there is no need for plastering and mortar in joining the blocks Load bearing walls require less reinforcing steel bars Faster construction because theres no need to wait for cast posts or beams to be cured 3. Since ICEB has high density and stabilized with cement, they are suitable for two to three-storey buildings if the produced blocks are of good quality. 4. The 6-inch thick block provides thermal and sound insulation, thus a building made of ICEB is reasonably comfortable and quiet. 5. Utilizes indigenous or locally available materials mainly soil and requires less use of wood for construction. 6. Creates local employment from both ICEB production and construction.

Interlocking Compressed Earth Block

I. C. E. B.

Full Block

Half Block

Corner Block

Half Corner Block

Basic Considerations
1. Looking/searching for suitable soil in order to produce good quality of blocks is crucial. It is being done through soil sample and testing . 2. ICEB technology requires strict supervision in terms of laying blocks because failure to do so may affect the soundness of structural design. 3. Since ICEB is heavier than Concrete Hollow Blocks, it may incur greater hauling and transportation cost if the production area is far from the construction site. 4. The blocks also require proper handling because their edges are fragile and are susceptible to damages. PHILIPPINE ALLIANCE OFFICES:
Central Offices: 221 Tandang Sora Ave. 1116 Quezon City Telephone Numbers: HPFPI: +63 (2) 455 9480 Fax +63 (2) 454 2834 PACSII: +632-4559480 FAX +632-4542834 Iloilo City Office: Zone 6, Calumpang, Molo, Iloilo City; Telephone Number: +632-3380870

Channel Block

Half Channel Block

Corner Channel Block

Half Corner Channel Block

Pillar Block

History, Production Process and Quality Control

History
The use of earth blocks in construction can be traced as early as 1950s. It started with the use of adobe, an earth block material that is made-up of soil and hay. In 1956, a Colombian engineer, Raul Ramirez, made the first block press called Cinva Ram. This technological innovation was followed by a research and development of Compressed Earth Block in year 1967 by the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR). Later, the Asian Institute of Technology and Soil Block Development Company produced larger earth blocks than those introduced by TISTR. Eventually, these blocks were introduced as modern ICEB or Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks. ICEB is an alternative to conventional housing technology which is now widely-used in construction in Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Philippines. The ICEB is a mixture of limesoil, cement and water that are produced through mechanical press. Here in the Philippines, ICEB is currently used by Julio and Florentina Ledesma Foundation, Inc. (JFLFI), a Nongovernment organization that spearheads several housing projects in San Carlos City and Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Through JFLFI, the ICEB technology was introduced for the first time in Iloilo City for the implementation of the Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF) Phase II- CommunityManaged Resettlement Housing Project, a massive affordable housing project funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Department for International Development (DFID) for 172 families affected by the Iloilo Flood Control Project. The ICEB was primarily adopted as a response to the need for a construction technology that is comparatively lower than the conventional housing technology when it comes to overall construction cost, but will not compromise the socialized housing standards.

Different Steps of ICEB Production

Step 1. Weigh the raw materials: limestone, cement, and water. Mix them until the required moisture percentage is attained. Step 6. Press until the lever reaches the lid. Raise the lever up and back to its initial position. Then, press the lever down and open the lock so that the block will come-out of the press box.

Step 2. Find the right charge weight for the mixtures (range from 7-7.5 kgs. depending on moisture content of the raw materials) before loading it to the machine.

Step 7. Lift the block off the press plate. Press with your fingers. Dont let your hands touch the corner of the block to avoid chipping off.

Step 8 Testing the strength and quality of the block using penetrometer and compression testing Step 4. Press the mixture manually using your fingers until the press block is filled up. Step 5. Brush the soil off the edge of the press, the vertical frogs and the lid. Then, close the lid.

Step 3. Pour the weighed mixture or charge on the block press.

Step 9 CURING. Stack the newlyproduced blocks overnight and expose them in a particular area for solar curing for seven days.