Review Article | DOI: https://doi.org/-

Effect of Agricultural Waste Ash Stabilizers on the Moisture Durability of Earth Blocks for Low-Cost Housing in Tropical Regions

  • Ewulo Temiloluwa Grace *

  1. Department of Architecture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Ewulo Temiloluwa Grace

Citation: Ewulo Temiloluwa Grace, Effect of Agricultural Waste Ash Stabilizers on the Moisture Durability of Earth Blocks for Low-Cost Housing in Tropical Regions, Journal of Applied Engineering and Industrial Technology, ACP Publishers, 1(1)

Copyright : © 2026 Ewulo Temiloluwa Grace, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Received: 21 May 2026 | Accepted: 23 May 2026 | Published: 26 May 2026

Keywords: agricultural waste ash; palm kernel shell ash; compressed earth blocks; moisture durability; low-cost housing; tropical climate; wet compressive strength; sustainable construction

Dr. Effect of Agricultural Waste Ash Stabilizers on the Moisture Durability of Earth Blocks for Low-Cost Housing in Tropical Regions

Earth blocks are attractive for low-cost housing because they use local soil, require less firing energy, and can provide good thermal mass, but their adoption in humid tropical regions is limited by moisture sensitivity. This review examines how agricultural waste ash stabilizers, with emphasis on palm kernel shell ash and related pozzolanic residues, influence moisture durability, dry/wet compressive strength behaviour, and practical suitability of earth blocks for affordable housing. The paper synthesizes evidence from compressed earth block literature, pozzolanic material standards, and studies on ash-modified earthen masonry. It argues that wet-to-dry strength retention is a more realistic durability indicator than dry compressive strength alone because low-cost walls are exposed to wind-driven rain, capillary rise, damp surfaces, and imperfect maintenance. The review shows that ash stabilizers can improve particle bonding and pore refinement when properly processed, proportioned, compacted, and cured, but excessive ash, poor soil selection, or inadequate detailing can increase water absorption and reduce field reliability. The paper proposes a moisture-durability framework connecting material chemistry, block production, wall detailing, and tropical housing performance. It concludes that agricultural waste ash stabilized earth blocks are promising only when laboratory strength gains are tied to water-resistance testing and moisture-conscious architectural detailing

Keywords:
agricultural waste ash; palm kernel shell ash; compressed earth blocks; moisture durability; low-cost housing; tropical climate; wet compressive strength; sustainable construction

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