Title:
From Dry Flowability to Rheology: Advancing Earth-Based Paste Optimization (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Mojtaba Kohandelnia and Ammar Yahia
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
clay; dry flowability characteristics; earthen construction; rheology; self-consolidating earth concrete
DOI:
10.14359/51749122
Date:
8/19/2025
Abstract:
Despite the advantageous features of earthen construction for sustainability, certain limitations arise, notably the time-intensive nature of the construction process. Some efforts have been made to achieve self-consolidating earth concrete (SCEC) by overcoming the presence of fine particles to achieve adequate rheology. The impact of cement, metakaolin, and limestone filler on dry flowability characteristics, rheology, workability, and compressive strength of self-consolidating earth paste (SCEP) mixtures was assessed in this study. The investigated mixtures were proportioned with different clay compositions, polycarboxylate ether (PCE), with/without the initial addition of sodium hexametaphosphate (NaHMP) as a clay dispersant. It was revealed that the addition of NaHMP and metakaolin to the mixtures consisting of finer clay particles significantly increased static yield stress, build-up index, critical shear strain, and storage modulus evolution. Finally, the contribution of dry flowability characteristics of the powders to the rheological properties of the SCEP mixtures was investigated to facilitate the selection process.