Analysis of the water absorption test to assess the intrinsic permeability of earthen materials

The use and development of earth as a building material is notably constrained by its specific thermal and mechanical behaviours in relation to water, currently not considered in construction norms and technical guides. As the compressive strength decreases with the presence of water in pores, a good prediction of water content evolution within earthen walls is critical to ensure safety. The key parameter driving the flow of liquid water through the material is the intrinsic permeability. In this paper, a novel analysis of the water absorption test is developed, enabling thereby the identification of the intrinsic permeability. Through the comparison with permeability measurements made with an oedometer at a variable hydraulic load for samples with different dry densities, this new method could be validated. This work gives therefore the opportunity to use simple standard absorption tests to assess the intrinsic permeability of earthen materials. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.