Study on How to Adapt Raw Clay Housing to Climate Change: Locust Bean Tree (Parkia Biglobosa) Used as Protecting Material

Abstract

The use of raw clay in housing construction dates back from ancient times and is still living on. Traditional habitat comprising various buildings all over different places of our planet, give evidence. Among any other pathologies affecting naked earthen walls, the rain water wash remains a major concern and deserves careful onsideration. Which justifies the interest of this research focused on the protection means of such types of walls. This article relates the experiment conducted on low walls made out of raw clay mixed with composite protecting products (traditional and modern ones as well), being tested to intensive water floods. The result of the tests assessed through efficiency of the protecting materials, shows that the locust bean tree (local tree) fruit husk extract added to raw clay mortar and carefully blended seems to provide better ability to protect walls against water assault. Moreover, consistency check and plasticity reveal better performance in clay material properties