Experimental rammed earth prototypes in Mediterranean climate

Abstract

This paper presents two different rammed earth building prototypes, which have been constructed and monitored in Barcelona and Lleida (Spain). The experimental set-up located in Barcelona consists of one cubicle (2.48 x 2.15 x 2.50 m), with no load-bearing rammed earth walls (50 cm thickness) that has been manually rammed, comparing two types of stabilizers. It has a wooden load structure and two different wooden green roofs. The experimental set-up located in Lleida consists of two cubicles (2.4 x 2.4 x 2.4 m), with load-bearing rammed earth walls (29 cm thickness) that have been mechanically rammed, and wooden green roof. Both prototypes are used to show the construction possibilities of rammed earth. Furthermore, the soil characterization and the compressive strength of the rammed earth are tested at laboratory scale. Indoor and outdoor temperatures, humidity, and inner and outer surface wall temperatures were measured in order to study the thermal behavior of rammed earth walls. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group.