Abstract
Earthen architecture has a significant share in the world’s fund of both residential architecture and cultural heritage. It provides a home to more than half of the world’s population and can be found in seismically active areas. Empirically acquired knowledge on building with rammed earth (RE) has usually been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth, with no written scientific grant for the load-bearing capacity and resistance of structural elements. Today, many countries still do not have standards for the design of RE structures. In the development of new as well as existing design standards, the results of experimental research play a significant role. The focus of this study was on unstabilized RE, which is locally available material with low embodied energy. This paper elaborates experimental campaigns, within which meticulous techniques were employed to provide new knowledge on RE for use in earthquake-prone areas. Furthermore, this paper includes: (i) ranges of values of mechanical properties determined on RE specimens from all over the world; (ii) a comparative summary of experimental research conducted on walls and buildings to assess their seismic performance; (iii) an overview of standards and testing methods used in experiments; and (iv) recommendations for further research.
Highlights
Earth constructions contribute to a significant and important share in the world’s residential architecture and cultural heritage [1,2,3]
This paper encompasses: (i) an overview of both norms and testing methods used in experiments on small-scale rammed earth (RE) specimens from all over the world; (ii) an overview of experimentally tested RE walls and buildings allowing easier calibrations and validations of both numerical and analytical models; (iii) insight into the minimum and maximum values of mechanical properties that can be expected in load-bearing RE walls and buildings; (iv) data that can enable machine learning aided by artificial intelligence; and (v) recommendations for further research
The Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of all man-made soil mixtures from Australia were above the upper envelope threshold, except in the range of coarse silt and fine sand, where they were located within the recommended envelope
Summary
Earth constructions contribute to a significant and important share in the world’s residential architecture and cultural heritage [1,2,3]. Experimental research of the load-bearing capacity of RE walls or houses in Croatia has not been carried out yet, and the techniques of making soil mixtures and building with RE are neglected or forgotten Another challenge of building with RE in Croatia is the lack of relevant norms. This paper encompasses: (i) an overview of both norms and testing methods used in experiments on small-scale RE specimens from all over the world; (ii) an overview of experimentally tested RE walls and buildings allowing easier calibrations and validations of both numerical and analytical models; (iii) insight into the minimum and maximum values of mechanical properties that can be expected in load-bearing RE walls and buildings; (iv) data that can enable machine learning aided by artificial intelligence; and (v) recommendations for further research.
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