Publisher's Synopsis
Increased environmental and energy concerns have renewed global interest in raw earth as a building material. Low-energy requirements, low-cost, high availability at construction sites, and favorable engineering properties make (EBMs) an attractive alternative to conventional cement-based construction materials. Though the use of native binders to improve soil properties has garnered attention in recent literature, the available knowledge has not been covered in a single document. This book highlights the key soil properties that determine the mechanical performance of earthen building materials, importance of unsaturated soil mechanics in the engineering behavior of earthen building materials, the different types of stabilizers used to improve the engineering performance of earthen building materials including the use of select native binders, the characteristics of compressed earth blocks stabilized with cement and cement + wood ash additives and the improvement in the engineering properties of adobes stabilized with plant fibers and cow dung.
