Experimental Characterization of Raw Earth Properties for Modeling Their Hygrothermal Behavior

Abstract

Raw earth is one of the oldest building materials of mankind. Almost a third of the world’s population is living in an earth-based house. However, their use remains low compared to conventional materials such as concrete, steel, and wood. Although these geosourced materials are abundant, recyclable, and have a low environmental footprint, their use is very limited in the construction sector. This can be explained by the lack of data regarding their hygrothermal behavior. In this context, the present work aims to highlight the properties of cob construction material with straw addition. An experimental characterization of hygrothermal and microstructural properties has been carried out. Thermal conductivity, specific heat, sorption isotherms, moisture storage capacity, moisture buffer value (MBV), and water vapor permeability are obtained experimentally. Then, the collected data are used as input parameters of a numerical prediction model to numerically assess the thermal and hygric behavior. Cob is then compared to other more commonly used materials to highlight the benefits of its use within the context of the energetic and environmental transition. Our results will allow better understanding of the behavior of the new geosourced material thanks to experimental and numerical investigation.