Use of the Nere Pod (<i>Parkia Biglobosa</i>) for the Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Soils

Abstract

Buildings made of unbaked clay have some advantage in terms of production cost. However, they have some inconveniences concerning their mechanical performance, particularly their resistance to weather. The objective of this study is to minimize these disadvantages and to maximize the benefits of such buildings to make them more viable. For this purpose, a method based on a traditional practice where the néré pod is utilized as a color wash, as well as, a binder is used. In the first case (color wash), it is to protect the building against weather damage, in the latter case, it is used to improve the mechanical performance of the coatings on the ground and it is in this way that rural people use to keep more sustainable homes. To achieve this, geotechnical characteristics were studied on seven (07) soil samples collected in seven (07) localities in Togo (Kovié, Aouda Zanguéra, Sarakawa Tagbamba, Goumoukopé and BB Lomé). The same geotechnical characteristics were studied on the same soil samples enhanced by adding the néré pods. Finally, a study was conducted to optimize the performance of this new composite material (soil-néré pod) based on the proportion of néré pod within the material. To manufacture a brick of dimensions of 22×14×9.5 cm, 8.5 kg of the mixture was needed and the amount of dampening water needed was equal to the amount of water to obtain optimum Proctor plus 2%. The results of these tests confirmed that néré pods help to improve the mechanical performance, especially the resistance to compression and puncture of the soils under consideration.

Thermophysical Characterization of an Insulating Bio-material Based on the Macerate of &apos;&apos;Néré&apos;&apos; (&lt;i&gt;Parkiabiglobosa&lt;/i&gt;) Pods and Cow Dung

“…Keita's work in 2014 showed that the incorporation of néré pods in the clay + sand mixture makes it possible to increase the material mechanical resistance [10]. Similar results were obtained by Banakinao in 2017 on earth-based bricks, boiled skins and banana leaves as well as néré tannins [11].…”

“…A complete modelization of bidirectional transfer in the samples associated with hot wire model makes it possible to use the entire thermogram between 0 s and 180 s to estimate the thermal conductivity using (11) [13,14].…”

The Technique of the Tri-Layer Coating: An Effective Solution for the Protection of Earthen Constructions

“…Bridelia (Figure 5) is one of the plants highly rich in tannin, like the leaf sheath of sorghum, the bark of false logwood and the pod of Nere [14] [15] [16] [17].…”

Development of Roofing Tiles Support Made from Bituminous Plywood

“…Therefore, it is of interest to investigate alternative roof coverings that are efficient and economic. The present study is within the framework of promoting the use of local and environment-friendly materials (Banakinao et al, 2017;Lolo et al, 2017;Banakinao et al, 2016;Drovou et al, 2015;Keita et al, 2014;Sorgho et al,2014;Pasch and Pizzi, 2002;Lefeu and Francy, 1999). The new design of roof coverings proposed in this study uses layers of bituminous plywood, at different proportions and different compositions, with fibers of cotton, as intermediate support between the wood frames and the roofing tiles, to guarantee the waterproofing of the roof.…”