SCEBs - University of Colorado Boulder

plasticity. They also do not offer guidelines regarding suitable soils based on their USCS
classification.
The proposed testing methodology by the author lays out a framework of
procedures and evaluations for identifying suitable soils and optimizing the overall
performance of the blocks produced from the soil. The varying nature of suitable soils
requires the framework to accommodate a wide range of potential materials. As research
continues and the proposed methodology is followed with various soils, the information
collected will contribute to an extensive database. As the database expands, a standard of
care including specifications related to particle size distribution, cohesion, plasticity,
swelling index, water content, etc. may be defined. Cooperation between researchers
applying systematic testing methods will lead to an established industry standard of care
code. The overarching goal of this thesis was met by defining the scope of a standard of
care for evaluating suitable soils in SCEB production and contributing valuable test
results to the community of earthen builders.
The Case Studies presented in Chapter 4 illustrate the author‟s proposed testing
methodology detailed in Chapter 3. The soils provided by the Crow and Ute Mountain
Ute Tribes were classified using the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Various
soil mixes were investigated through a system of material testing and evaluation in order
to provide suggestions to the Tribes regarding soil suitability and optimal soil mix design.
Recommendations for on-site quality control testing were supplied in order to enable the
Tribes to reduce project costs and improve material performance.
Several issues regarding SCEB technology are not yet fully understood. Issues
that must be analyzed and addressed by the earthen building community and construction
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