ASTM_E_2392_-_E_2392M_-_10e1.pdf

Designation:E2392/E2392M101Standard Guide forDesign of Earthen Wall Building Systems1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2392/E2392M;the number immediately following the designation indicates the yearof original adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A superscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1NOTESection 2.3 was corrected editorially in May 2010.1.Scope1.1 This standard provides guidance for earthen buildingsystems,also called earthen construction,and addresses bothtechnical requirements and considerations for sustainable de-velopment.Earthen building systems include adobe,rammedearth,cob,cast earth,and other earthen building technologiesused as structural and non-structural wall systems.NOTE1Other earthen building systems not specifically described inthese guidelines,as well as domed,vaulted,and arched earthen structuresas are common in many areas,can also make use of these guidelines whenconsistent with successful local building traditions or engineering judg-ment.1.1.1 There are many decisions in the design and construc-tion of a building that can contribute to the maintenance ofecosystem components and functions for future generations.One such decision is the selection of products for use in thebuilding.This guide addresses sustainability issues related tothe use of earthen wall building systems.1.1.2 The considerations for sustainable development rela-tive to earthen wall building systems are categorized asfollows:materials(product feedstock),manufacturing process,operational performance(product installed),and indoor envi-ronmental quality(IEQ).1.1.3 The technical requirements for earthen building sys-tems are categorized as follows:design criteria,structural andnon-structural systems,and structural and non-structural com-ponents.1.2 Provisions of this guide do not apply to materials andproducts used in architectural cast stone(see SpecificationC1364).1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound unitsare to be regarded separately as standard.The values stated ineach system may not be exact equivalents;therefore,eachsystem shall be used independently of the other.Combiningvalues from the two systems may result in non-conformancewith the standard.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C1364 Specification for Architectural Cast StoneD2487 Practice for Classification of Soils for EngineeringPurposes(Unified Soil Classification System)E631 Terminology of Building ConstructionsE2114 Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Perfor-mance of Buildings2.2 ASCE Standards:3ANSI/ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings andOther Structures2.3 New Zealand Standards:4NZS 4297:1998 Engineering Design of Earth Buildings,1998NZS 4298:1998 Materials and Workmanship for EarthBuildings,1998NZS 4299:1998 New Zealand Standard,Earth Buildings notrequiring Specific Design,1998(including amendment#1,December 1999)3.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 For terms related to building construction,refer toTerminology E631.3.1.2 For terms related to sustainability relative to theperformance of buildings,refer to Terminology E2114.Someof these terms are reprinted here for ease of use.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainabilityand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construc-tion.Current edition approved Jan.15,2010.Published March 2010.Originallyapproved in 2005.Last previous edition approved in 2005 as E2392 05.DOI:10.1520/E2392-10E01.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE),1801 AlexanderBell Dr.,Reston,VA 20191,http:/www.asce.org.4Available from Standards New Zealand,Radio New Zealand House,Level 10,155,The Terrace,Wellington 6011,http:/www.standards.co.nz.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.1.3 alternative agricultural products,nbio-based indus-trial products(non-food,non-feed)manufactured from agricul-tural materials and animal by-products.3.1.4 biodegradable,adjcapable of decomposing undernatural conditions into elements found in nature.3.1.5 biodiversity,nthe variability among living organ-isms from all sources including:terrestrial,marine and otheraquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of whichthey are a part;this includes diversity within species,betweenspecies and of ecosystems.3.1.6 ecosy