Effectiveness of Cow Dung for Rammed Earth Application

Abstract

Global warming is a very common problem worldwide. One of the reason is due to use of unsustainable natural resources for construction activities. This situation has forced engineers to think of alternative construction materials and methods of construction to minimize adverse impacts and protect environment from natural disasters. In this context, rammed earth is one of the sustainable and eco-friendly alternative construction techniques. In this study, two local soils were selected for rammed earth application which possesses varied colour. The soils were mixed in 1:1 proportion for aesthetic appearance. Initially, the basic properties of both the soils were determined, and then the properties of the mix were determined. To further improve the strength property of the soil, cow dung was selected as admixture. The cow dung dosage was varied from 2 to 8% with an increment of 2%. A series of compressive strength tests were carried out on unstabilized and cow dung stabilized soil blocks with varied percentages of cow dung and varied curing period. Based on the test results, 2% cow dung is found to be optimum. The compressive strength of the rammed earth is increased by 1.5–2 times that of the unstabilized soil block with a curing period of 28 days. Thus, cow dung can be an eco-friendly and economic alternative for rammed earth application.