THE USE OF PALM KERNEL SHELL BLOCKS IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

The increasing incidences of structural failures especially building collapse in recent times in Southwestern Nigeria has become worrisome in view of the damage done to adjacent structures and danger posed to building occupants and owners. There is the urgent need to devise methods to curtail failures and minimise the incidences of building collapse. This study was designed to investigate the mechanical properties of palm kernel shell (PKS) blocks in order to recommend their use in building industry. Using purposive sampling technique, a survey of 272 block industries spread across the study area was undertaken to establish the quality of sandcrete block in the circulation and their methods of production. The properties of palm kernel that are considered of importance in this study are shape, size, the void ratio, crushing strength, durability, water absorption rate, and moisture content. These were experimentally determined. After the experiments, design mix proportion was the first stage of the project followed by materials procurement as the second stage of the work. The third stage is the production of sandcrete palm kernel shell while the last stage was the determination of the mechanical properties of the block specimens. Statistical techniques of chi-square and Pearson correlations T-test were used for analysis. PKS block has lesser weight and greater crushing strength than normal sandcrete block. PKS block is a ductile material that could not suddenly break under load, without warning unlike normal sandcrete block that can suddenly collapse without warning. It is recommended that between 50 % and 60 % PKS block is adequate for walling with external plastering.