ABSTRACT
Raw earth is one of the earliest and most common building materials in the history of mankind. Earthen building techniques are still used in many developing countries since they are suitable to satisfy the need of low cost housing, of environmental comfort and are fit for self-build practice. The use of raw earth as a construction material, also with structural task, has very ancient origins. This material can be effectively used even nowadays: its characteristics of biocompatibility and low cost and the possibility of its use in self building processes make it particularly suitable also for new buildings especially in developing countries. Earth material and reinforcement systems are the focus of this research for several reasons: the heritage of rammed-earth buildings in the world, especially in the seismic areas, is important and the use of rammed earth in new constructions is possible in several countries, particularly in the context of sustainable development.
