Environmental Science and Engineering > 6. Sustainable Utilization of Land Resources
Abstract Accepted
Celina Liang / West Virginia University
Hota Gangarao / West Virginia University
This paper describes a case study using energy efficient, environmentally beneficial construction technologies based on the sustainable use of land resources. Rammed earth is a sustainable construction material providing many benefits for the environment including natural materials, universal availability, durability, recyclability, low embodied energy, low CO2 emissions, high thermal mass, traditional construction methods, and low cost for materials, construction, and transportation. Sponsored by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Aleutian Housing Authority (AHA), West Virginia University (WVU) researchers worked in collaboration with the North American Rammed Earth Builders Association to construct a single-family rammed earth residence in Alaska based on what they learned from Hakka rammed earth buildings, as known as Tulous. Those buildings reflect the emergence of innovation, evolution and advancement in the engineering of rammed earth construction in China from the 8th to 20th centuries. Researchers performed material characterization of rammed earth beams at WVU before implementation in the field. The objectives were to adapt rammed earth construction for Alaska and use local materials, local skills (labor), and minimal energy to build a prototype single-family affordable housing unit that can be economically reproduced in the Aleutians and elsewhere. Since the completion of construction in 2018, researchers have been monitoring the thermal comfort and energy usage of the building through sensors. The research findings reveal that this model house demonstrates a high level of living comfort and energy efficiency under extremely cold climate conditions and offers very high resistance to earthquakes. The building survived a local Richter scale 7.1 earthquake on November 30, 2018 without a single crack.