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School of Engineering

DTU publications on building materials

The main internal publications of the DTU are Working Papers, Technical Releases and Research Notes. Most DTU publications are available here for download in a number of formats and hard copies of Working Papers are available free on request to the DTU. Technical Releases will also be sent free on request but only to addressees in developing countries.

  • Technical Releases contain descriptions of designs/techniques for use by manufacturers, extension agents and users of equipment, written in fairly simple English to make them more accessible to technicians speaking other languages

  • Working Papers are used for descriptions of research findings and are written for a "professional" audience: comments are welcome. In some cases revised versions are subsequently published in outside journals.

  • Externaly reviewed publications have mainly been published in books, journal articals and conference proceedings. When available, we provide a link to the published document and where there is a cost for the publication and copywrite restrictions allow, a free copy of the final draft submitted before publication. Other externally reviewed publications available here are substantive Project Reports which have been presented to various sponsors of our work and post-graduate theses.

  • Research Notes are smaller outputs from our research,progress reports of research undertaken by the DTU but as yet incomplete, case study material, and exceptional undergraduate research reports. Often these notes form the basis of fuller Working Paper. This section also contain


Working Papers
WP35 Materials for Low-Cost Building in North-East Nigeria (1991) Abstract Full document (15pp, 320kb) (PDF Document)
WP38 Soil Testing for Soil-Cement Block Preparation (1993) Abstract Full document (51pp, 1.5Mb) (PDF Document)
WP40
 Quasi-Static Compression Forming of Stabilised Soil-Cement Building Blocks (1993) Abstract Full document (63pp, 1.6Mb) (PDF Document)
WP44
 The Potential of Cement-Stabilised Building Blocks as an Urban Building Material in Developing Countries (1995) Abstract Full document (22pp, 150kb) (PDF Document)
WP52
 Destructive Effects of Moisture on the Long Term Durability of Stabilised Soil Blocks (2000) Abstract Full document (29pp, 100kb) (PDF Document)
WP53
 Dynamic Compaction of Soil for Low-cost Building Blocks (2000) Abstract Full document (45pp, 190kb) (PDF Document)

Externally Reviewed
Kerali, PhD Thesis, 2001 Durability of Compressed and Cement-Stabilised Building Blocks Abstract Full Document (357pp, 1.3Mb) (PDF Document)
Montgomery, PhD Thesis, 2002 Dynamically-Compacted Cement Stabilized Soil Blocks for Low-Cost Walling Abstract Full Document (280pp, 2.1Mb) (PDF Document)
Kerali & Thomas, Build. Res. Inform. 30(5), 2002 Effect of mix retention and curing on low-cement walling blocks Abstract Paper from the journal
Thomas & Kerali, Build. Res. Inform. 32(2), 2004 Simple durability test for cement stabilized blocks Abstract Paper from the journal
Still & Thomas, AAC 105(4), 2006 Mix proportioning of mortars in tension, with particular reference to developing countries Abstract Paper from the journal
Fernandes et. al., Cem. Concr. Res. 37(5), 2006 The effect of clay content in sands used for cementitious materials in developing countries Abstract Paper from the journal
Still, PhD Thesis, 2007 Methods for Reducing the Cost of Cementitious Building Components in Developing Countries, with Particular Reference to Rainwater Harvesting (2007) Abstract Full Document (280pp, 30Mb) (PDF Document)

Research Notes
SSRPR02 How does cement stabilisation work? Abstract Full Document: (30pp, 270kb) (PDF Document)
SSRPR03 Physical characteristics of soils that encourage SSB breakdown during moisture attack Abstract Full Document: (29pp, 250kb) (PDF Document)
SSRPR06 Critique of existing papers on dynamic compaction of stabilised soil samples Abstract Full Document: (33pp, 500kb) (PDF Document)
SSRPR08 Minimising the cement requirement of stabilised soil block walling Abstract Full Document: (37pp, 550kb) (PDF Document)
Still, 2004 Strength of cementitious mortars: a literature review with special reference to weak mortars in tension Abstract Full Document: (25pp, 470kb) (PDF Document)
Turner, UGP, 2000 Undergraduate Project Report - Design of Rainwater Storage Tanks for use in Developing Countries Abstract Full Document: (72pp, 2.0Mb) (PDF Document)
Constantine, UGP, 2001 Undergraduate Project Report - Cracking in Waterproof Mortars Abstract
Full Document: (78pp, 270kb) (PDF Document)
Fernandes, UGP, 2002 Undergraduate Project Report - The Effect of Fines in Sand for the Fabrication and Application of Concrete in Developing Countries Abstract Full Document: (79pp, 720kb) (PDF Document)
Moeed, UGP, 2002 Undergraduate Project Report - Countering Shrinkage Cracking in Renders Abstract Full Document: (72pp, 2.0Mb) (PDF Document)