Abstract
In this paper, influence of moisture content on the mechanical characteristics of rammed-earth has been studied. Samples from different soils (sandy, clayey, stabilised) were manufactured and tested in unconfined compression at several moisture contents. Compressive strength, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio were determined. A simplified method to measure the suction within rammed earth samples has been developed and validated. The variation of mechanical characteristics related to moisture content and suction are presented. This paper shows that a slight increase in the moisture content of dry rammed-earth is not followed by sudden drop in wall strength. Qualitative explanations at the nano-scale are presented.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 163-169 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Construction and Building Materials |
| Volume | 54 |
| Early online date | 17 Jan 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Mar 2014 |
Keywords
- Cohesion
- Compressive strength
- Poisson's ratio
- Rammed earth
- Suction
- Young modulus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science
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Dive into the research topics of 'Effect of moisture content on the mechanical characteristics of rammed earth'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
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Pete Walker
- Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering - Professor
- Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment
- Building Research Park
- Centre for Doctoral Training in Decarbonisation of the Built Environment (dCarb)
- Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change
- Centre for Climate Adaptation & Environment Research (CAER)
Person: Research & Teaching, Core staff