Page 155 - New Trends in Green Construction

New Trends in Green Construction
RAW EARTH APPLIED TO MODERN MASONRY CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS: PROPOSAL OF AN INNOVATIVE EXTERIOR ENCLOSURE
S. Mobili, C. Galán Marín, C. Rivera Gómez
Keywords: raw earth; façade solutions; sandwich panel; sustainability; raw materials. 1. Introduction
Nowadays, there is a growing need to use alternative technologies that allow to reduce construction waste and energy consumption during the life cycle of the building (in comparison with others) (Bragança & Mateus, 2006) (Vasconcelos et al., 2013). The development of raw earth construction is today one of the most important fields in the area of ecological materials. In fact, raw earth construction materials contain much less embodied energy and are, therefore, an alternative of great interest. The use of these materials in the construction of buildings can be an alternative in the path to be followed towards the building of nearly zero consumption (Arrigoni et al., 2017). This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign designed to develop an innovative proposal for an industrialized exterior enclosure that includes unfired clay as the principal material, and that responds to the mechanical, thermal and acoustic requirements necessary to ensure the comfort of space and reduce the demands of saving energy and resources.
2. Materials and methods
This work presents an innovative proposal for a construction system based on prefabricated insulated sandwich panels, as the prototype shown in the image, produced on the basis of a new eco-efficient composite material, with a raw stabilized clay base. (Galán-Marín, Rivera-Gómez, & Petric, 2010)
The proposed panel are sandwich type configuration with an intermediate insulating material and two exterior pieces, manufactured by an extrusion process. The composite material used in the production of theses pieces is
a raw earth stabilized with
calcium alginate and natural fibers of animal origin.
The research proposes a series
of approximate verifications
of the thermal and mechanical
behavior of the panel, as well
as the analysis of constructive
systems, such as patents that
enabled us to highlight considerations that allowed
the design and execution of the prototype.
Figure 1. Panel proposals.
Their compliance with the values established by the Spanish building code has also been analyzed.
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