Achieving Sustainable Local Building Wall Materials in Ondo State, Nigeria: Using Laterite Stabilized with Cement and Bones Ash-Powder

Shelter is an integral part of human needs. It has been adjudged second to food in the ranking of human needs. However, the provision of shelter for the Nigerian populace remains low despite various policies and efforts from both governmental and private agencies to provide desirable housing for citizens. This study seeks to introduce the use of laterite soil, which is a common natural material in most Nigerian environments, with ordinary portland cement and cow bone ash powder to achieve affordable, eco-friendly, and tropical compliance materials for building wall construction in Nigeria. The study investigates the existing mud bricks and sandcrete (hollow) blocks for wall construction. It conducts a thorough test of the laterite soil composition with respect to its compressive strength and cohesive compatibility with cement and bone ash powder to form solid and desirable stabilized bricks for building walls. The resultant bricks show that ordinary portland cement and cow bone ash powder exhibit significant stabilization potency on laterite to attain high compressive building wall material. The cow bone ash powder reduces the percentage of cement used for stabilization of the laterite bricks and enhances its sustainability and affordability for housing delivery in Nigeria.