Structural design with rammed earth: a shear strength design procedure and case study

• Autores: Dan Bergsagel, Marta H. Wisniewska, Maxwell Rodencal
• Localización: Structures and Architecture. Volume 3: REstructure REmaterialize REthink REuse / Mario Rinke (ed. lit.), Marie Frier Hvejsel (ed. lit.), Aníbal Maury Ramírez (ed. lit.), Zena Ndiaye (ed. lit.), Ilse Lindenbergh (ed. lit.), Elise Enthoven (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 9781040447239, págs. 764-771
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The construction industry is a significant contributor to environmental degradation. Locally sourced minimally processed earthen construction methods present a compelling alternative to materials with high embodied carbon such as concrete and steel. This paper describes the design, testing, construction, and deconstruction of “Terra Firma: New Grounds” – a temporary outdoor pilot demonstrator folly constructed from locally- sourced rammed earth in 2023 as part of the Cornell Council for the Arts program. The paper outlines material testing protocols to determine key attributes of the three sub-soils used in the demonstrator; evaluation methods for mechanical properties required for structural design, in particular a method for estimating shear strength; and analysis of scientific data produced during a fully instrumented deconstruction of the demonstrator to verify initial evaluations. The methods centered on physical, constructed earthen projects to aid in the learning of engineering concepts, with the aim of further situating earthen construction as a competitive building technique in the current and future building practices. The results of the pilot testing aligned with the proposed calculation method, however further future testing is recommended.