Compacted Earth Blocks Additivated with Phase Change Material

ABSTRACT

Earth construction is an ancestral technique, which in recent years has attracted a lot of attention due to its sustainability, ease of execution and low-cost production. Compacted earth blocks (CEBs) are a current and modern construction technique based on ancient adobe and rammed earth construction techniques. On the other hand, phase change materials (PCM) have been successfully applied in different building materials, due to their ability to regulate the temperature inside buildings through their thermal storage capacity. In this way, the combination of compacted earth blocks and phase change materials allows for a constructive solution with all the advantages associated with earth construction, but also with a beneficial impact on the energy efficiency of buildings. Currently, there are several studies developed in earth construction and in materials with PCM incorporation, however the combination of these two techniques is still an underdeveloped area with high potential and research needs. In this research, different compositions of CEBs with direct incorporation of non-encapsulated PCM were developed and evaluated in the fresh and hardened state. The developed compositions were added with 25%, 50% and 75% of PCM in relation to the Portland cement content used to stabilize the BTCs. It was possible to conclude that the incorporation of PCM in BTCs can be performed successfully, with the incorporation 25% of PCM and 10% of Portland cement presenting a satisfactory performance from the point of view of physical, mechanical behavior and durability.

Keywords
Earth construction; Compressed earth blocks; Phase change materials