RILEM Contribution to Earthen Building

Earth as building materials and earthen building products are important for the conservation and rehabilitation of historic and vernacular construction, but also to build new eco-efficient buildings. Earth is not standardized as for other more common construction materials. For earthen products to be applied, depending on the building technologies used and the architectural and engineering design, their performance must be known. Therefore, there is a need to define standardized test procedures, so that performance results can be validated and compared. Within the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM) an effort has been made, so that earthen materials and products can be addressed, and test methods can be discussed, optimised and defined. This article presents the evolution within RILEM of earth as building material, earthen building products and elements, details difficulties, but also the achievements reached so far. It intends to spread the work now being done, namely within RILEM Technical Committees BEC, MAE and PEM, so that a larger number of professionals can contribute and profit from results achieved.