Energy Sustainability of Rammed Earth Buildings

Abstract

Earth construction has long tradition in our civilization with wide distribution in various ways and techniques of application. When combined with other natural materials it is the material for construction of comfortable space for people. Increased need for energy efficient houses actualizes this type of construction in modern conditions as a holistic solution for modern buildings. In addition to many uses of earth as a building material, rammed earth wall came to consideration since it allows us to observe most of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of construction. Finding solutions to remedy observed disadvantages will lead to improved construction of adobe, wattle-and-daub, unbaked bricks, etc. This paper is aimed at proving energy efficiency of rammed earth wall and it points out possible research directions into improvements while preserving existing benefits. The most important issue is preservation of cost efficiency of earth building while using other natural supplements into the soil mixture.