Formulation et caractérisation de blocs légers de terre crue stabilisée

Abstract

The excessive consumption of energy used to ensure the indoor thermal comfort of buildings has led to a rise in the economic and environmental impacts of the construction sector. On the other hand, one of the most important challenges for future construction is reducing energy consumption, which is why the scientific community is working on developing lightweight, insulating, and environmentally friendly building materials. The main purpose of this research is to study lightweight samples (LWS) made of raw earth, stabilized with lime, mixed separately with each of these four materials: expanded polystyrene beads (ESP), and three different sizes of DPW (DPW < 1 mm, DPW (1–5) mm, and DPW (5–10) mm). In this context, the study evaluated the effects of substituting a portion of the studied soil volume with different percentages of ESP beads (0%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, and 65% by volume) and different sizes and contents of DPW (0%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, and 75% by volume) on the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of lightweight samples. The results showed that the incorporation of EPS beads and three sizes of DPW improved thermal insulation performance by an estimated 57.36%, 49.35%, 51.52%, and 54.83% for samples containing 65% EPS beads and 75% DPW < 1 mm, DPW (1–5) mm, and DPW (5–10) mm, respectively, compared to the reference samples (0% DPW). In contrast, a significant decrease in mechanical resistance was recorded compared to the reference samples. However, the values recorded for the samples were found to be usable for load-bearing and non-bearing walls. Additionally, the results of stress-strain curves revealed that the incorporation of EPS beads and DPW improved the ductility of lightweight samples. The study also focused on evaluating the life cycle of exterior walls made by lightweight earthen samples, specifically LWSs made of 50% and 65% EPS beads, in comparison to air-blade-insulated walls. The results of the life cycle analysis of walls made of lightweight 65% EPS beads showed a reduction in required energy and a reduction of the CO2 greenhouse effect by estimated values of 19.82% and 15.86%, respectively, compared to conventional air-blade walls.