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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Agostino Bruno, Derrick Mwebaza, Dr Magdalini Theodoridou
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© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026. Raw earth is a viable alternative to traditional energy intensive building materials like concrete and fired clayey materials. It can be locally sourced and serves as an excellent hygrothermal buffer, regulating indoor temperature and relative humidity. Unlike mainstream building materials, earth is also fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle. However, stabilisation – the addition of supplementary material to enhance mixture stability – is often required to enhance the durability of earthen building products and their resistance to liquid water erosion, typically increasing their environmental impact. To mitigate this impact, various bio-based stabilisation methods have recently been explored by the scientific community. These involve the addition of biopolymers, bio-fibres or the triggering of bio-mineralisation processes. Still, the effects of these novel bio-stabilisation methods on the mechanical and hygrothermal behaviour of earthen building composites/products require further investigation. This paper provides an overview of existing experimental methods for measuring the mechanical, hygroscopic and thermal properties of bio-stabilised earthen composites and products, along with key findings from the literature. Insights from this review can help guide future research on bio-stabilised earthen products.
Author(s): Losini AE, Bruno AW, Posani M, Armistead SJ, Babafemi AJ, Faria P, Guiheneuf S, Ioannou I, Rios AJ, Kamath M, Mwebaza D, Panagiotou R, Ranesi A, Theodoridou M, Vaculik S, Vucetic S, Habert G, Perlot C, Bras AMA
Editor(s): Magda Posani, Surender Singh
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: 1st RILEM Youth Symposium on Building Materials and Construction (RYS2025)
Year of Conference: 2025
Pages: 527-544
Online publication date: 01/04/2026
Acceptance date: 02/04/2018
ISSN: 2211-0852
Publisher: Springer
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-14652-6_38
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-14652-6_38
Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item
Series Title: RILEM Bookseries
ISBN: 9783032146526
