The work questions the significance of the steady-state R-value for high mass wall systems through experimental analysis of the thermal behavior of two stabilized rammed earth building components representing a building envelope subjected to variable temperatures in the form of 24 hour cyclic sinusoidal inputs. It shows that when the environment temperature is used to quantify the thermal fluctuation of a zone the response of the walls surfaces to energy cycles can be determined by dynamic thermal transfer properties expressed in accordance with EN ISO 13786: 2007 relating cyclic heat flux to cyclic temperature variations.

The paper focuses on thermal properties for laboratory simulation testing to ascertain the viability of low-cement, Stabilized Rammed Earth (CSRE) as an ecological and sustainable envelope structure for colder regions. The results will be used to create a point of reference for the thermal performance of vernacular CSRE architecture, which could be integrated into building law, norms or standards by interested institutions.

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