Sustainable Use of Traditional Geomaterials in Construction Practice

Geomaterials derived from the Earth’s crust and used in construction after appropriate processing are among the earliest raw materials exploited, processed and used by humans. Their numerous functional properties include accessibility, workability and serviceability, and these are explored within this volume. In modern society, sustainable use of raw materials, specifically those exploited in large volumes such as geomaterials for construction, raises questions of reducing extraction of primary resources and thus minimizing impacts on natural systems, and also employment of materials and technologies to lower emissions of deleterious substances into the atmosphere. This will be possible only if we fully understand the properties, processing and mode of use of traditional geomaterials. Although most of the papers within this volume were written by geologists, the contributions will also be of interest to those working in cultural heritage, monument conservation, civil engineering and architecture.
Sustainability in earthen heritage conservation
-
Published:January 01, 2016
Abstract
Earth construction is the oldest building material known, with documented cases of the use of earth bricks since Mesopotamia around 10 000 BC. Earth construction exists throughout most of the world in different cultures, and for some countries it continues to be the main process of construction. Around 30% of the world’s population lives in buildings made from earth materials. Earthen construction is an environmentally friendly technique with a social and cultural contribution; this advantage is increased when this type of construction is applied in developing countries where the material costs counterbalance the labour costs, and where other materials...
- absorption
- archaeology
- Aveiro Portugal
- buildings
- characterization
- chemical composition
- civil engineering
- conservation
- construction
- construction materials
- durability
- Europe
- grain size
- granulometry
- human activity
- Iberian Peninsula
- insoluble residues
- mechanical properties
- mineral composition
- physical properties
- Portugal
- preservation
- sampling
- size distribution
- Southern Europe
- strength
- structures
- testing
- textures
- water
- earthen materials
- adobes