Recent Innovations in Stabilized Earthen Construction

Stabilization of an earthen material with Tung oil: compaction, strength and hydrophobic enhancement

“…Aguilar et al (2016) reported that chitosan increases the strength of rammed earth and generates soil hydrophobicity simultaneously. Fatty acids such as stearates and oleates combined with cement are also able to achieve a hydrophobic effect for earthen buildings (Eires et al, 2017;Nagaraj and Muguda, 2020). Among these hydrophobic stabilizers, Tung oil is a promising substance given its natural origin, cost-effectiveness and its ability to improve both the mechanical behavior and water resistance in soils (Samadzadeh et al, 2011;Yang et al, 2015;Li et al, 2018).…”