Experimental studies on the thermal and moisture properties of rammed earth used in adobe buildings in China

Among the rich diversity of Chinese vernacular buildings, adobe building is a special kind of building using rammed earth for its external walls. The primary aim of this study is to examine quantitatively the thermal and moisture properties of the rammed earth. This paper presents the experimental results of these properties, which include the density, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, moisture sorption isotherms and the surface absorption/desorption mass flux rates.