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Background: Conservators and architects working with built heritage at risk from ground moisture intrusion face a difficult choice. Leaving the building unprotected can lead to moisture related deterioration; installing vertical and/ or horizontal barriers using standard materials requires chemical or mechanical intervention with the historic fabric. The use of compacted clay to form a barrier is commonplace in some areas of environmental engineering, and can be applied to built heritage conservation. Naturally occurring or slightly modified soils were traditionally used for protecting buildings in a number of vernacular techniques. Knowledge of what types of soils are suitable for use could provide certain regions with a low-cost, low-impact alternative for protecting historic buildings. Three commercially available products previously shown to have low hydraulic conductivity were analysed in order to identify waterproofing mechanisms; these included two specialised bentonite-sand mixtures and a Saxonian glacial till. Results:The till relies on a high proportion of densely agglomerated fine grains to achieve a low permeability when consolidated, possibly assisted by the presence of calcite. The specialised mixtures rely on an engineered grain size distribution, with practically no silt sized grains, and a fraction of sodium bentonites capable of forming colloidal suspension when compacted. All materials showed a low risk of shrinkage when compacted at optimum moisture content. Conclusion:Different mechanisms appear to account for the low hydraulic conductivities found in clay barrier material. The implication is that a range of soil material may be suitable for protecting built heritage from ground moisture intrusion and its associated decay mechanisms. The suitability of glacial till may present large areas of Northern Europe with locally available barrier material.

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Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Eigenschaften industriell hergestellter Bauprodukte aus Lehm für den Mauerwerksbau. Die Qualität der industriellen Fertigung dieser Produktgruppe hat inzwischen einen Stand erreicht, der vergleichbar mit dem anderer Bauprodukte ist. Lehm‐Putzmörtel gibt es als Universalputze für ein‐ oder mehrlagige Anwendung oder in Form von Unter‐, Ober‐ oder Feinputzen. Lehmsteine werden in verschiedenen Größen und mit Lochung angeboten. Die mechanischen Eigenschaften verschiedener Lehmsteinsorten sind geprägt durch Druckfestigkeiten bis 11 N/mm2, mit üblichen Werten bei 2 bis 5 N/mm2. Ein kritischer Punkt ist die Abhängigkeit der Festigkeitseigenschaften der Lehmsteine von der Materialfeuchte. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen haben jedoch gezeigt, dass in einem Luftfeuchtebereich von 40 bis 70 % RLF die Druckfestigkeit von Lehmsteinen verhältnismäßig konstant ist. Mauerwerk, errichtet mit Lehmsteinen und Lehm‐Mauermörtel, zeigt ähnliche Druckfestigkeiten und E‐Module wie Mauerwerk, das mit Porenbetonsteinen errichtet wurde. Infolge einer geringeren Haftscherfestigkeit zwischen Lehmmörtel und Lehmstein ist die Schubfestigkeit von Lehmsteinmauerwerk vergleichsweise niedrig. Properties of industrially produced earthen building products for masonry and behaviour of earth block masonry. The contribution gives an overview of the properties of industrially produced earthen building products for masonry. In the meantime the quality of the industrial production of this group of building materials reached a level similar to that of other products for construction. Earth plasters exist as plasters for universal, one or multi layer applications or as lower, upper or finish plasters. Earth blocks are provided in different sizes and with different perforations. The mechanical properties of different earth block types are signified by compressive strength of up to 11 N/mm2 but are typically in a range between 2 and 5 N/mm2. A critical point is the correlation of the strength of earthen materials with their moisture content. Results from earth blocks showed that in a relative humidity window between 40 and 70 % rh the compressive strength of earth blocks is fairly constant. Masonry made from earth block and earth mortar exhibited compressive strength and elastic modules similar to masonry made with aerated autoclaved concrete blocks. The shear strength of earth block masonry, however, is fairly low, due to the weak bond between earth block and earth mortar.