ABSTRACT
Strengthened panels were developed to exploit the strength potential of earthen materials and to solve its lack of tensile strength, significantly improving not only strength but also ductility. Three earthen materials were considered: cob, earth block masonry (EBM) and rammed earth. An experimental investigation was carried out to study the in-plane shear behaviour of earthen material panels strengthened with polyester fabric strips. Indeed earthen materials are some of the oldest construction materials, and perhaps the least understood in terms of its strength and deformation properties. EBM consists of earth blocks and mortar, usually an earthen mortar. The blocks were produced by throwing a handful of a plastic malleable mass of earth into a mould. The size of the cob panels was smaller since it was limited by the blade length of the saw, with which they were cut out from a larger block.
