Earth has been used as a reliable building material for many thousands of years.
Recently there has been a world wide renaissance in the use of earth as a
building material due to its architectural versatility and environmental
sustainability. However, in the United Kingdom it is regarded by the majority of
building professionals as either obsolete or a novel historical material. The
utilisation of earth as a modern building material and the repair of historic earth
building structures is retarded by the uncertainty of the knowledge of the
properties of the material.
This thesis considers earth building materials as composite materials containing
a cohesive, low compression modulus binder fraction, a high compression
modulus aggregate fraction, and a fibre fraction. The compression properties of
a building material without fibre content (cob matrix material) are described in
terms of the interaction between the binder and aggregate fractions, and
moisture and the binder fraction. The effect of the moisture content of the
material upon the compression failure mechanisms is described. Values of
compression modulus predicted by a rule of mixtures equation are compared to
experimental results for this material. The following mechanisms are proposed
to account for the apparent discrepancy between the predicted and experimental
results:
• the effect of pore size distribution and the proportions of binder and
aggregate fractions upon strain magnification within the material
• the effect of an efficiency factor, primarily dependent upon the proportion
of binder and aggregate fractions, which determines the degree to which the
potential modulus of the material is realised.
Time Domain Reflectometry is employed for repeated, real time, non destructive
measurement of the moisture content of an external cob wall. The results of
these measurements are analysed and discussed.
This thesis proposes that consideration of cob as a composite material has
developed a paradigm which will enhance the level of understanding of all earth
building materials, enabling the manipulation and accurate prediction of their
structural properties. This will be an important contribution to the realisation of
the significant sustainable qualities of earth building materials by the current
construction industry.
Date of Award | 1996 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | |
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THE EFFECT OF MOISTURE CONTENT AND COMPOSITION ON THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY OF COB MADE FROM SOIL OF THE BRECCIA MEASURES NEAR TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON
ADDISON GREER, M. J. (Author). 1996
Student thesis: PhD