Effects of Chemical Surface Treatments on the Structural and Durability Performance of Coffee Husk Reinforced Laterite Blocks

ABSTRACT

The trend toward sustainable building practices has led to an increase in interest in the use of agricultural waste material as a filler material in compressed earth blocks. Coffee husk, which is readily available agricultural waste material, is of great interest in the field of building construction. The material, however, experiences difficulties in terms of hydrophilicity and compatibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using chemical methods to improve the material properties when used as reinforcement material in compressed earth blocks. Six different chemical treatment methods, namely using NaOH, silane, acetylation, NaOH + silane, NaOH + acetylation, and NaOH + silane + acetylation, were examined. Characterization of the material changes was carried out using XRF, SEM, FTIR, and XRD. The material property improvement was determined using flexural, water absorption, and dimensional stability tests after 28 days of curing. From the results, it can be concluded that the chemical treatment had a significant impact on the overall improvement of the material property. Of all the treatments used, the NaOH‐silane treatment records the best results as it displays the highest flexural strength: 0.829 MPa, the lowest water absorption: 6.33%, and dimensional stability with a low % shrinkage of 0.73%, indicating the best‐suited treatment for further durability assessment and application in sustainable construction techniques as a promising component of durable construction materials such as earth.