Mound Soil as Construction Material

Mound soils from some habitats of a common tropical species of termites were investigated with a view to the possibility of utilizing such soils for construction. The research program that comprises the evaluation of the geotechnical properties of the soil and a study of the compressive strength of mortar and concrete specimens containing mound soil showed that the soil could be used as an additive to enhance the strength of both mortar and concrete. Inclusion of mound soil in mortar matrix resulted in a compressive strength value of up to 40.08 N/mm2, and addition of 5% of mound soil to a concrete mix of 1:2:4:0.56 (cement:sand:coarse aggregate:water) resulted in an increase of up to 20.35% in compressive strength.