Construction Techniques with Compacted Soil, Unexplored Sustainable Technology

Abstract

The use of land as building material has its origins in the beginning of humanity and has proven to be one of the few materials that exclusively combines the thermal and the acoustic capacity. Most types of soil are suitable as construction material, which is why the world has developed a variety of construction techniques. One of them consists of combining a compacting force over the earth which must be appropriately moistened and mixed with a stabilizing agent called the constructive technique with compacted land. This compaction allows to control of deficiencies in the material and at the same time it improves the mechanical properties. Despite the advantages of this material and this technique in constructing homes and buildings, in Colombia further developments have stagnated. This has coupled with neglect from university institutions, which are responsible for researching and deepening these techniques, which, due to the simplicity and low cost of the material become a good alternative given the lack of housing for poor people in the world.