Experimental study on the capillary absorption characteristics of rammed earth

Abstract

The capillary absorption test is redeveloped for rammed earth building materials. Since these materials liquefy and expand upon contact with water, the standard method must be modified to tackle this material evolution during the test. Firstly, a thin permeable wick and paper are applied as lower sample parts, to counter the liquefaction. It is shown that their influence on the resulting absorption properties is limited. In addition, a confining sealing is utilised against the expansion. It is shown that this confined way of testing offers crucial advantages as a result of the material remaining stable throughout the test.