Soil is known as the most cost-effective material in construction since available locally and has been used for centuries. Soil widely used throughout the world in brick production including Malaysia. The used of soil in construction can reduce environmental issues and act as a green building material. In addition, high pressure of compression is used to produce the interlocking bricks and it is at high speed of production compared to conventional method which is firing process that can contribute to the environmental issues. To achieve sustainable development, interlocking compressed earth bricks have been developed which can reduce cost, environmental-friendly, and energy-efficient. This paper aims to review the interlocking compressed earth bricks (ICEB).

Conventional bricks such as Fired Clay Bricks (FCB) contribute to environmental issues due to the production process. Previous study has shown that interlocking bricks have potential as alternative way for sustainable development. The Interlocking Compressed Earth Bricks (ICEB) is a sustainable construction material which all the main constituents locally available and stabilize with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Thus, this study focusses on determination of proper mix design for the ICEB in line with that to reduce the contribution to environmental issues. Six (6) different of cement contents were investigated, which 0% to 10% by incremental of 2%. All the ICEB samples were tested for water absorption and compressive strength at the ages 7, 14 and 28 days. The ICEB with 10% of cement contents show the highest compressive strength which have exceeded the minimum required stated in BS3921:1985 (5 N/mm2) however the water absorption exceeds the allowable limit of 15% based on MS 76:1972. This study may contribute and act as manual for mix design of the ICEB.

Clay fired bricks are commonly encountered in the construction sector as infill between structural frames. This system has been favoured by builders due to familiarity, ease of manufacture, and they also do not require skilled labourers to erect. Produced from moulded clay and hardened by firing in a kiln, brick production is both energy intensive and high in CO2 emission. Fired bricks are typically held together by cement mortar at the bed and perpend joints which provide very minimal resistance against shearing or flexure. This meant brick walls often require additional wind posts or stiffeners to provide stability. Compressed earth masonry offers an alternative to the conventional brick walling system in that, besides having the advantages of conventional bricks, they also confer higher compressive strengths due to the high-pressure compaction manufacturing process. The high strength allows the system to be adapted into load-bearing masonry system for use in low-rise buildings as an alternative to the more expensive reinforced concrete or steel framing system. The high-pressure compaction process along with high quality moulds also give fair-faced finished to the bricks, allowing them to be used as facing bricks and eliminating the need for surface finishing such as plastering. Additionally, compressed bricks featuring interlocking key holes along the bed joints allows for simplified and faster wall erection process. This review paper aims to document the research progress thus far in adopting the compressed interlocking bricks as a sustainable alternative to current building materials.