Cement Block Manufacture in Kenya

Abstract

Cement blocks are, probably, the most important building material in urban Kenya. They are made by mixing cement, sand and small stones together and forming the mixture into blocks of varying size. The blocks are then used as bricks in the construction of buildings. Block manufacture was chosen because it was known that various different ways of making blocks were in use in Kenya. This study primarily focuses on these different methods. But cement blocks are just one building material among many. Some of the alternative building materials and the implications for choice of technique are considered at the end of the chapter.