LAUSR

Abstract This paper deals with the development of sustainable building earth-based materials. More precisely, it addresses the study of the reinforcement of raw earth with natural fibres originated from Algeria (diss and date palm tree fibres) and their stabilisation with xanthan gum. The aim of this study is the design of extruded earth-based building blocks with improved mechanical properties such as compressive strength and ductility. The effects of separate and simultaneous addition of date palm trees or diss fibres (with length varying between 5 and 15 mm at dosages of 1.5 and 3% in volume) and stabiliser (xanthan gum and HMP at 1 and 2% of the dry earth mass) on the flexural and compressive strength of the stabilised and unstabilised extruded materials are compared. Results show that adding only fibers decreases the compressive strength of the earth in comparison with the unreinforced sample. It is also shown that diss fibres provides better reinforcing efficiency than date palm tree fibres and that a combined addition of xanthan gum and natural fibres create a synergic effect that greatly improved the material mechanical behaviour: higher compressive and tensile strengths and better ductile properties. These results are fully supported by microscopic observations and pull-out tests carried out on single fibres.