Statistical and Experimental Study of Structural Hollow Concrete Blocks Adopting the ACI Mix Design: A Case Study
Received: 26 January 2025 | Revised: 19 February 2025 | Accepted: 27 February 2025 | Online: 4 June 2025
Corresponding author: Ahlam A. Ali
Abstract
This study investigates the production of structural hollow blocks bearing load as a masonry unit using statistical regression analysis. Production of blocks that comply with the specification limits of IQS 1077 is a challenge to achieve the appropriate minimum cement content in terms of economic and environmental goals. Data were collected to correlate the normal compressive strength required in the ACI 211.1 mix design with the expected compressive strength within the IQS requirements. Experimental work included preparing hollow blocks using a compress block machine with two curing methods, immersion (normal curing) and spray water (easy and close to factory field production), for 7 days. The recommended block types had a mixture proportion of 1:3.516:2.333 and 1:4.34:2.692 for cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate, consuming cement content equal to 300 kg/m3 and 260 kg/m3, respectively, following IQS requirements. Mixture proportions with minimum cost and strength requirements were successfully achieved.
Keywords:
load bearing hollow block, ACI 211.1 mix design, SPSS, curing methodDownloads
References
"Construction of Load-Bearing Concrete Masonry Units," Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, Iraq, Iraqi Specification Νο. 1077, 1987.
C15 Committee, "Specification for Loadbearing Concrete Masonry Units." ASTM International.
M. S. Amouri and N. M. Fawzi, "The Mechanical Properties of Fly Ash and Slag Geopolymer Mortar with Micro Steel Fibers," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 8463–8466, Apr. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.4855
A. F. Hashmi, M.S. Khan, M. Bilal, M. Shariq, and A. Baqi, "Green Concrete: An Eco-Friendly Alternative to the OPC Concrete," Construction, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 93–103, Dec. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15282/construction.v2i2.8710
A. A. Adekunle, K. R. Abimbola, and A. O. Familusi, "Utilization of Construction Waste Tiles as a Replacement for Fine Aggregates in Concrete," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 1930–1933, Oct. 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.1071
D. J. M. Velazco, M. C. P. Pirela, M. E. R. Rodriguez, and S. A. O. Montero, "Concrete masonry blocks withscrap HDPE as aggregate," Revista Tecnica, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 29–36, 2021.
R. Nandhakumar, G. Parthipan, T. Thangeeswari, S. Karthikraja, and B. Gangadurai, "Investigation on various construction material LECA, thermal insulated and conventional blocks," IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 764, no. 1, Feb. 2020, Art. no. 012013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/764/1/012013
M. F. Qasim, Z. K. Abbas, and S. K. Abed, "Production of Load Bearing Concrete Masonry Units (blocks) From Green Concrete Containing Plastic Waste and Nano Silica Sand Powder," Journal of Engineering, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 54–70, Aug. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2022.08.04
A. S. Jaafar, Z. K. Abbas, and A. A. Allawi, "Investigating the Ability of Producing Sustainable Blocks using Recycled Waste," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 12006–12011, Dec. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.6357
"Methods of sampling and testing concrete masonry units," Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, Iraqi Specification No. 32, 1989.
M. F. Qasim, "Some Properties of Green Concrete Containing Sustainable Aggregate," M.S. Thesis, University of Baghdad, Iraq, 2022.
S. M. Selman, "Producing Sustainable Concrete Masonry Units Using Lightweight Aggregate,” M.S. Thesis, University of Baghdad, Iraq, 2023.
T. F. Abbas, "Production of hollow load-bearing concrete masonry units using sustainable materials," M.S. Thesis, University of Baghdad, Iraq, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2023.04.07
A. S. Jaafar, "Production of sustainable load bearing concrete masonry units by using waste demolished building," M.S. Thesis, University of Baghdad, Iraq, 2024
"Selecting Proportions for Normal-Density and High Density-Concrete - Guide," American Concrete Institute, ACI PRC-211.1-22.
"Portland cement," Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, Iraqi Specification No. 5, 2019.
"Used Aggregate from Natural Sources in Concrete and Building," Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, Iraqi Specification No. 45, 1984.
"Water Used in Concrete," Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control, Iraqi Specification No. 1703, 2018.
C09 Committee, "Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Laboratory." ASTM International.
C09 Committee, "Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens." ASTM International.
Downloads
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zena K. Abbas, Ahlam Ali Abood, Raghad S. Mahmood, Hayder A. Al-Baghdadi, Mustafa Q. Khalid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
