Adobe construction: a case study in Turkey.(Case study)

Abstract: Adobe has been used as a construction material for hundreds of years, and even today, a great number of people still live in adobe houses in various parts of the world. This is for reasons of local availability and because buildings constructed from adobe can create healthier environments. As a case study, this paper analyses a building complex made primarily of adobe masonry and reinforced concrete. The complex, a country club located 35km from Istanbul, consists of a 19-room hotel, a restaurant, and a horse stable. Both the hotel and restaurant were constructed in two flats of locally produced adobe and have been in service since 1998. This paper describes the construction techniques and methods used to produce the adobe. It presents experimental tests of the mechanical and physical properties of the material, comparing to local construction standards and to the properties of other common building materials. Finally, the paper evaluates the suitability of adobe masonry construction for the Istanbul area.

Keywords: Adobe, Building materials, Housing, Masonry construction, Mechanical and physical properties, Reinforced concrete

Introduction

Earth buildings can be found on every continent, some having been occupied even thousands of years (King, 1996). It has been widely used in Anatolia since prehistoric times (e.g., in catalhoyuk & Hacilar); (Naumann, 1975). There is a growing interest in the use of earth as a construction material for two reasons; the heritage factor and because it is environmentally friendly (Carmen, Jimenez, Delgado & Guerrero, 2006). A study of traditional building practices throughout the world identified some 18 different methods of using the material, each able to produce a great variety of forms (Guillaud & Houben, 2001).

As a developing country with a growing population, Turkey suffers from an acute housing shortage. It is anticipated that the housing units needed by 2010 will be 7.5 million. A major factor affecting the construction industry is the cost of fuel and building materials, most of which have to be imported. The most common building material for construction of houses in rural areas is the usual burnt clay brick (Binici, Aksogan & Shah 2005). Building with adobe offers many advantages, including:

* It enables cheap, easy, and fast production;

* It allows people to use local materials and to take charge of the production of their built environment;