Monitoring of ultrasonic pulse velocity for earth concrete properties evaluation - Effect of curing conditions

Abstract

This paper aims to study the effect of curing conditions on the mechanical properties of earth concrete. The studied earth concrete mixtures were constituted of different percentages of clayey and sandy soil with limited quantities of cement, lime and hemp fibers. Earth concrete mixtures have been cast and vibrated as normal concrete. Compression tests have been carried out on samples at different age and curing conditions. The ultrasonic non-destructive technique has been used for monitoring the hardening of soil concrete in function of the curing conditions. The results show that the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) decreases with the addition of clayey soil and hemp fibers. In addition, a good correlation has been observed between the compressive strength and the UPV and thus UPV can be used as an indicator for the evaluation of earth concrete mechanical properties.