Characterization of the mechanical and physical properties of unstabilized rammed earth: A review

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2021-02, Vol.270, p.121435, Article 121435
• Main Authors: Ávila, Fernando, Puertas, Esther, Gallego, Rafael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization; Mechanical properties; Rammed earth; Review
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121435

•Rammed earth is attracting increasing interest as a sustainable building solution.•Unstabilized Rammed Earth shows a compressive strength between 1 and 2.5 MPa.•URE tensile and shear strength are known to be low, but further research is needed.•Rammed earth proves good thermal and acoustic performance, but more data is needed.•Earth construction reduces energy consumption, CO2 emissions and waste generation. Sustainable development is becoming increasingly important in the construction sector. Therefore, building techniques that reduce environmental impacts by minimizing industrial processes and using locally available materials, such as earth, are receiving a new impetus. This paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art of research on characterization of unstabilized rammed earth, as understanding its behavior is essential for its use in modern construction. The results indicate that compressive strength is considered as the most representative parameter, but there is a significant dispersion in its values. Tensile and shear strength are known to be low, but further investigations are needed to assess their real magnitude. Several experiences show good thermal and acoustic properties, although more studies are also required to support these conclusions.