Variable Strain Rate Properties of Rammed Earth

Rammed Earth (RE) is a low-cost alternative building material which can be used in construction. Like concrete, RE is composed of fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, cement, and water. RE and concrete differ in the type of aggregates used. In RE, the soil that is readily available is used as both the coarse and fine aggregate, mixed with cement and water, then compressed. The aim of this project was to research RE as a potential building material as a cheaper alternative to conventional concrete masonry units and concrete. While typical use case for structures typically involves low strain rate loading, the effectiveness of structures at high strain rate are of additional importance. To find low strain rate properties of RE, unconfined compression and Brazilian splitting tests were performed. Higher strain rate tests utilized Hopkinson bar and penetration with characterized spherical and dart penetrators. Compressive strengths of 2620 ± 855 psi were roughly equivalent to traditional concrete masonry units and specimens were also shown to harden based on strain rate.