Interdisciplinary Research in Geotechnical Engineering and Earth Building Materials

Earthen building materials (EBMs) are increasingly recognized as attractive alternatives to cement-based materials due to their lower embodied energy, affordability, local availability, and favorable performance characteristics such as fire resistance, acoustic insulation, and hygrothermal comfort.

The engineering characteristics of EBMs, such as particle size distribution, clay mineralogy, physico-chemical properties, Atterberg limits, soil suction, and compaction behavior, have a direct influence on their physical (e.g., density, shrinkage, water absorption), mechanical (e.g., compressive strength, elastic modulus, tensile and flexural strength), hygrothermal (e.g., vapor permeability, sorption-desorption behavior, thermal conductivity), and durability (e.g., resistance to water, erosion, and freeze-thaw cycles) properties. These properties must comply with the national standards of the respective countries.

Soil specifications for EBMs typically call for limited clay content. Excessive or inappropriate clay content can adversely affect the physical, mechanical, hygrothermal, and durability characteristics of EBMs, especially when exposed to rainfall and fluctuating humidity. To enhance durability, stabilization techniques, using either inorganic (e.g., lime, fly ash, cement) or natural (e.g., plant fibers, animal fibers, cow dung) binders, are often employed. Thus, the production of strong and durable EBMs demands a solid understanding of the physico-chemical and geotechnical properties of soils.

This reliance on soil behavior and stabilization highlights the strong intersection between geotechnical engineering and earth building technologies. However, in practice, these areas often remain siloed; geotechnical engineering traditionally focuses on the behavior of natural and stabilized soils, while building technology addresses the performance of earthen materials in construction. Recently, growing interest within the earth building community in soil mechanics and stabilization has opened opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between geotechnical engineering and earth building technology by encouraging high-quality research that fosters cross-disciplinary insights. We welcome contributions on topics including, but not limited to:

• Influence of soil index properties (e.g., particle size distribution, Atterberg limits) on the suitability of soils for EBM production
• Effects of soil physico-chemical properties (e.g., clay mineralogy, surface area, cation exchange capacity, organic content) on the performance of EBMs
• Impact of compaction techniques on the engineering characteristics of EBMs
• Role of soil suction and moisture dynamics in EBM performance
• Advances in chemical stabilization techniques for improving EBM properties
• Use of natural binders in producing sustainable and high-performing EBMs

Submitted papers should be original and not under review elsewhere.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Earth building materials; Engineering characteristics; Geotechnical Engineering; Inter-disciplinary; Soil Properties; Soil stabilization

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.