Research and development of sustainable clay-based building materials with natural additives and local agricultural waste

An experimental research is ongoing in the “Laboratorio di Termofisica dei Materiali” of Politecnico di Bari on sustainable building materials achieved by a basic mix of clay, silt, sand with local additives (i.e. lime) and natural components originating from agricultural waste produced in Mediterranean area (i.e. straw, olive trees waste, etc.). The agro-waste disposal represents one of the main issue at national and international level. The research aims to develop a sustainable material suitable for building applications (i.e panels, bricks, mortar) with high physical and hygrothermal performances.