Earth masonry – General
Earth is a widely available and sustainable building material. In contrast to cement, steel and other masonry materials, earth building materials can be produced without energy-intensive firing and preparation processes. In addition, earth building materials are fully circulable and can be recycled easily and without major energy expenditure. Moreover, the high water vapour absorption capacity of earth contributes to the natural regulation of the indoor climate and therefore a high level of comfort.
In the course of industrialisation in Europe and other industrialised countries, earthen materials were replaced as a building material by reinforced concrete, steel and conventional masonry. In the course of the current building revolution and the sustainable development of the construction sector, earth building materials are becoming more attractive than conventional building materials, which is why various national and international regulations for the planning, construction and dimensioning of earth building materials have been developed in the recent past. In Germany, the new DIN 18940 standard for the design of earth buildings up to four storeys was published in 2024, leading to increasing demand for this sustainable construction method. This standard is based on the simplified verification method according to Eurocode 6, Part 3.
Due to the neglect of earthen building materials in the past century, there is still a significant research gap compared to, for example, reinforced concrete or conventional masonry. Therefore, research is being conducted at the Institute for Solid Structures to address various gaps in the field of load-bearing earthen masonry.
