ABSTRACT

In 1994 the author used cork as a stabilizer and additive to improve the grading curve and the thermal quality. The first tests were conducted with

1 INTRODUCTION

Thermal inadequacy in rammed earth buildings has, in some cases, become evident when trying to comply with energy saving requirements governing the Basic HE Document of the Spanish Technical Building Code (CTE DB HE in Spanish). In designs where the walls are primarily made of rammed earth and cladding is not included, the insulation indexes are typically in the order of 0.6 at 1.2 W/mK (Bauluz & Bárcena, 1991) for standard thickness between 30 and 60 cm, depending also on the density obtained, amount of clay and soil type.