Stabilization of Earthen Building Materials by Select Native Binders

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Increased environmental and energy concerns have sparked global interest in raw earth as a building material. With low energy requirements, affordability, high availability at construction sites, and favorable engineering properties, earthen building materials (EBMs) present a compelling alternative to traditional cement-based options. While recent literature has focused on using native binders to enhance soil properties, existing knowledge has not been consolidated into a single resource. This book addresses essential soil properties that influence the mechanical performance of earthen building materials and emphasizes the significance of unsaturated soil mechanics in their engineering behavior. It explores various stabilizers that enhance the performance of these materials, including select native binders, and examines the characteristics of compressed earth blocks stabilized with cement and cement plus wood ash additives. Additionally, it discusses improvements in the engineering properties of adobes stabilized with plant fibers and cow dung. The chapters include: 1) Characterization of soils used in earthen building materials, 2) Role of soil suction in engineering behavior, 3) Stabilizers for earthen materials, 4) Characteristics of cement-stabilized and cement plus wood ash blocks, 5) Stabilization of adobes with plant fibers, 6) Stabilization of adobes with cow dung, and 7) General conclusions.