Variability of mechanical performance of cement-typha insulation materials

The reduction of energy consumption in the building sector is an important consideration for the protection of environment and availability of fossil resources. Therefore, plant-based concretes are increasingly developed to insulate buildings and reduce the contribution of the construction sector to energy consumption. In this study, concrete made of typha with a cementitious matrix was elaborated. The mechanical performances (compressive strength and apparent elastic module) are evaluated. The variability of these performances according to the water/binder ratio, the curing conditions, and the class of cement were studied. The results show that mechanical performances of Typha cement concretes are in accordance with the values recommended in the French professional rules for hemp construction. The apparent elastic module obtained range from 15 to 35 MPa. The stress at 10% strain decreases from 0.52 to 0.30 MPa with increasing water content. The water/binder ratio of 0.7 conducted to the best mechanical performance.