Sample key features affecting mechanical, acoustic and thermal properties of a natural-stabilised earthen material

Abstract

The use of natural materials has become more important as a result of the growing need to conserve energy, exploit renewable materials, and incorporate architecture and construction into sustainable methods of production. Accordingly, the present work investigates the engineering properties of a new earthen building material. This proposal is based on traditional unfired earthen masonry and consists of compressed earth blocks stabilised with natural polymers and wool fibers for use as insulating and structural load-bearing walls in buildings. The conducted experimental study enabled us to determine the mechanical performance, thermal conductivity, noise mitigation, modulus of elasticity, porosity percentage, and diameter through mercury intrusion porosimetry. The influence of soil characteristics on thermophysical and acoustic properties of tested material were investigated. The experimental data show good efficiency and a significant improvement in the engineering properties of these materials compared to traditional compressed earth blocks. In this research, a comprehensive analysis of the interaction of different properties is proposed as an assessment methodology that could be applied to any kind of stabilised soil material. The correlation of the results, being the type of soil the only variable of the analyzed samples, has allowed identifying sample key features and tests so as to obtain the best mechanical, thermal and acoustic performances.