SANSWALL: sandblasted armed non-stabilized wall of rammed earth

The earthen building construction is an ancient technique that is experiencing resurgence in the world today thanks to the energy performance of this material throughout the life cycle of building phases of construction, occupancy and demolition. This strength allows us to consider the earth as a promising material in the construction sector in the context of sustainable development. Yet, there remain problems of quantification of the mechanical performance that prevent people to use this material. This paper is devoted to the study of these problems. Through numerical modeling of a wall of mud, I propose to optimize the composition to increase its resistance; the optimization also affects its size. A nonlinear dynamic behavior of the wall allowed us to study the conditions of its stability. Reinforcement techniques to improve the seismic capacity of the mud walls were also discussed. All these parameters characterize what we have agreed to call a mud wall SANS (sandblasted, armed, non-stabilized).