Durability of Rammed Earth: A Comparative Study of Spray Erosion Testing and Natural Weathering

The research covered in this paper was aimed at investigating the suitability of the accelerated spray erosion test (ASET) for predicting durability of rammed earth walls. ASET was conducted on several specimens of unstabilised rammed earth, and in order to assess the suitability of the laboratory test as predictor of natural weathering, a field study was conducted to measure the natural weathering of a similar set of rammed earth specimens. The initial results of the study are presented in the paper, with parameters such as compaction effort and moisture content at the time of ramming, as well as soil composition, shown to be important determinants of behaviour.