Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Earth-Based Structural Materials

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Rammed earth and stabilized mud block are materials made from a compacted mix of soil, water, and a small amount of cement, used as structural materials in buildings. While rammed earth is compacted in place, mud block is compacted into a brick using a mechanical press. While similar materials have been used for millenia, from a modern engineering standpoint, their structural properties are not well understood. Under this proposal, the materials will be analyzed using a computer modeling technique known as the finite element method. Such computer models can analyze the behavior of the walls under different conditions, including changing vertical weights and more horizontal forces such as earthquakes. The computer models will be enhanced to predict the propagation fractures through the brick and mortar of these structures. The focus of the analysis will be on how the buildings respond to horizontal forces. This analysis will be conducted in collaboration with experimental modeling of walls conducted at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.The modeling will be used to create safer and more economical buildings out of these materials. These materials are used widely in India and a few other countries as they are economical and, properly constructed, durable. They are also seeing wider interest in the developed world as they have many advantages environmentally, saving energy both in construction and over a building?s lifetime. The computer techniques developed will also be applicable to many other materials, especially those that may fracture on existing weak interfaces or through the body, such as thin films on electronic semiconductors. Finally, the investigation will strengthen international research collaborations with the group in Bangalore.