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Effect of bio-stabilizers on capillary absorption and water vapour transfer into raw earth

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Abstract

While raw earth can be used as a structural material, its water sensitivity limits its use in modern construction. Earth has a strong affinity with water. Both water imbibition and water vapour transfer have to be taken into consideration. This affinity can be a positive point to regulate indoor ambience, but it can also negatively affect earth’s mechanical properties. To avoid this possible detrimental effect, bio-based additions are used all around the world to stabilize, protect from water and enhance the mechanical properties of earth-based building materials. Bio-based stabilizers have to limit liquid water absorption and maintain mechanical properties without acting as a water vapour barrier that can lead to durability issues. In this article, capillary water absorption and water vapour permeability measurements are performed for combinations of various earths and bio-based additions (linseed oil, xanthan gum, casein, alginate and tannins). Linseed oil and xanthan gum help to protect the earth-based samples from absorbing liquid water without affecting the water vapour transfer in these materials.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Patrice Estellé, Associate professor at LGCGM, for his support and advice for the contact angles measurements.

Funding

The authors would like to thank ECOMATERRE who funded a part of this study, and for its work in structuring the regional research program on earth construction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRDL, UMR CNRS 6027, Université de Bretagne Sud, BP 92116, 56321, Lorient Cedex, France

    Simon Guihéneuf & Arnaud Perrot

  2. Laboratoire de Génie Civil Génie Mécanique, Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, Université de Rennes, 20 Avenue Des Buttes de Coësmes CS 70839, 35708, Rennes Cedex 7, France

    Simon Guihéneuf, Damien Rangeard & Thibault Cusin

  3. Laboratoire de Génie Civil Et Génie Mécanique, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France

    Florence Collet & Sylvie Prétot

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  1. Simon Guihéneuf
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Contributions

Conceptualization, S.G., D.R., A.P.; Validation, S.G., D.R., A.P., T.C., F.C., S.P.; Investigation T.C., S.G., D.R., A.P., F.C., S.P.; Writing-original draft, S.G.; Writing-review and editing D.R., A.P., F.C., S.P., T.C.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, S. G., upon reasonable request.

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Correspondence to Simon Guihéneuf.

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Guihéneuf, S., Rangeard, D., Perrot, A. et al. Effect of bio-stabilizers on capillary absorption and water vapour transfer into raw earth. Mater Struct 53, 138 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-01571-z

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