In-plane behaviour of rammed earth under cyclic loading: Experimental testing and finite element modelling

Miccoli, Lorenzo; Drougkas, Anastasios; Müller, Urs

doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2016.07.010

Cited by 57 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Earthen construction can be divided into four main categories: compressed earth block (CEB), rammed earth, adobe, and cob construction. While a lot of studies were published on the mechanical behaviour of rammed earth, CEB, and adobe [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], very few researchers studied the mechanical properties of cob, which constitutes a diffuse alternative to rammed earth and adobe in specific geographical conditions [21,[30][31][32][33]. In fact, it is estimated that at least 200,000 units are constructed in EU by the cob technique, date back to the first half of the 20th century, the 19th century, the 18th century, and even older [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and FEM Investigation of Cob Walls under Compression

Quagliarini

Maracchini

2018

Advances in Civil Engineering

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Earth has been used as construction material since prehistoric times, and it is still utilized nowadays in both developed and developing countries. Heritage conservation purposes and its intrinsic environmental benefits have led researchers to investigate the mechanical behaviour of this material. However, while a lot of works concern with rammed earth, CEB, and adobe techniques, very few studies are directed towards cob, which is an alternative to the more diffused rammed earth and adobe in specific geographic conditions. Due to this lack, this paper presents an experimental program aimed at assessing the failure mode and the main mechanical properties of cob earth walls (compressive strength, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) through monotonic axial compression tests. Results show that, if compared with CEB, adobe, and rammed earth, cob has the lowest compressive strength, the lowest modulus of elasticity, and Poisson’s ratio. Differences are also found by comparing results with those obtained for other cob techniques, underlining both the high regional variability of cob and the need of performing more research on this topic. A strong dependence of material properties on loading rate and water content seems to exist too. Finally, the ability of a common analytical method used for masonry structures (an FEM macromodelling with a total strain rotating crack model) to represent the mechanical behaviour of cob walls is showed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and FEM Investigation of Cob Walls under Compression

Quagliarini

Maracchini

2018

Advances in Civil Engineering

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“…Several research investigations have recently been conducted to study the properties of RE: mechanical characteristics [1,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17], durability [9,18], hygrothermal behavior [6,[19][20][21], and earthquake performance [22][23][24][25]. However, using nondestructive techniques to determine the in-situ characteristics of RE walls is less reported, although several studies can be cited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Rebound Hammer Test for Rammed Earth Material

Bui

2017

Sustainability

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Rammed-earth (RE) is a construction material manufactured from the soil. The soil is compacted at its optimum water content, inside a formwork to build a monolithic wall. RE material is attracting renewed interest throughout the world thanks to its sustainable characteristics: low embodied energy, substantial thermal inertia, and natural regulator of moisture; on the other hand, the existing historic RE buildings is still numerous. This is why several research studies have been carried out recently to study different aspects of this material. However, few investigations have been carried out to explore the possibility of applying the nondestructive techniques on RE walls. This paper presents an assessment of the well-known rebound hammer test on RE walls. The calibration curves of the rebound hammer test have been established for conventional concrete where the rebound number is more than 20. For RE material with lower compressive strengths, a new calibration curve must be established. In the present study, two soils were used and different homogenized specimens with different dry densities were manufactured and tested, to plot a general calibration curve. Then, this calibration curve was applied to RE specimens; different results at different positions in an earthen layer were observed, due to the inhomogeneity of the material. The final results showed an acceptable accuracy of the calibration curve in the prediction of the compressive strength of RE material.

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“…In the past decades, vernacular construction techniques (e.g., bhatar, gabion boxes, cator, and cribbage) have been objects of different scientific researches by academics and professional societies [1][2][3][4]. Among these techniques, rammed earth (RE) is also an object of several studies [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. RE walls are made by compacting earth in vertical formworks (wooden or metal panels).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical Rods as a Seismic Reinforcement Technique for Rammed Earth Walls: An Assessment

Bui

El-Nabouch

et al. 2019

Advances in Civil Engineering

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Rammed earth (RE) is a construction material which is manufactured by compacting soil by layers within a formwork to build a monolithic wall. RE material is the subject of numerous scientific researches during the last decade because of the significant heritage of RE buildings and the sustainable properties of this material: low embodied energy, substantial thermal inertia, and natural regulator of moisture. The seismic performance of RE buildings is an interesting topic which needs to be thoroughly investigated. This paper presents a numerical study which assesses the relevancy of a seismic reinforcement technique for RE walls by using two vertical steel rods installed at two extremities of the walls. The discrete element method (DEM) was used to model unreinforced and reinforced RE walls. These walls were first loaded with a vertical stress on the top to simulate the vertical loads and then submitted to a horizontal loading on the top to simulate the seismic action. Two current cases of RE buildings were investigated: one-storey and two-storey buildings. The results showed that the reinforcement technique enhanced the maximum horizontal force about 25% and 10%, respectively, for the cases of one- and two-storey buildings. Higher effectiveness of this reinforcement technique is expected for RE materials having higher compressive strength, for example, stabilized RE.

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In-plane behaviour of rammed earth under cyclic loading: Experimental testing and finite element modelling

Cited by 57 publications

References 30 publications

Experimental and FEM Investigation of Cob Walls under Compression

Experimental and FEM Investigation of Cob Walls under Compression

Assessing the Rebound Hammer Test for Rammed Earth Material

Vertical Rods as a Seismic Reinforcement Technique for Rammed Earth Walls: An Assessment

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