Small-scale manufacture of stabilised soil blocks (TM 12)

Technical Memorandum No. 12

This technical memorandum, which has been prepared jointly by the ILO and UNIDO, is part of a series of publications on manufacturing technologies. The object of the series is to acquaint small-scale producers with alternative production techniques for specific products and processes, so as to help them to choose and apply those techniques that are most appropriate to local socio-economic conditions.

The memorandum provides technical and economic information on alternative technologies for the production of stabilised soil blocks. The information provided relates mostly to small –scale units producing up to 400 blocks per day. It covers all aspects of block making: the quarrying and testing of raw materials; the choice of soil stabilisers; pre-processing operations (grinding, sieving, proportioning and mixing); block-forming methods, including a details description of machines currently available for making soil blocks; the curing and testing of produced blocks; and the use of mortars and renderings in wall construction.