“Adobe: A kind of Earth Material use in Construction”

A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of Jaime Cardinal Sin Learning

Center

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject Research

Proponent:

Alyssa Marie S. Danao

Grade 12- Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa, O.P

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

 INTRODUCTION

In the Philippines, Construction is one of the most hazardous

industries due to its unique nature. Measured by international standards,

construction site and safety records. Poor workmanship and improper

construction methods often lead to concrete failure, these are the results

of improper project oversight and construction techniques. Aside from

that, the use of poor concrete can lead to an unexpected incidents.

Philippines experiences natural disasters, as it is surrounded by

bodies of water, and is located along the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”

From typhoons to tsunamis to volcanic eruptions to earthquakes. For the

past hundred years, San Agustin Church in Manila is the oldest stone

church in the Philippines. It is made up of ‘Adobe’ that made from earth

and organic materials. Adobe may be used as one of the earliest building

materials in the history, an additional raw material like cement plaster

can strengthen the adobe. Adobe walls are load bearing, they carry their

own weight into the foundation rather than by another structure, or

simply supporting much of the weight.

Using of adobe in infrastructure in the Philippines can be a big help

to lessen the effects of earthquake, especially here in Metro Manila where

high structures are built. It can save a lot of people and lessen the
damage caused by earthquakes and calamities. We all know that house is

one of the basic needs of human being. But according to www.unhcr.org

more than 80 developing countries in the world suffer from housing

shortages resulting from over population, war, natural disaster like

earthquake and calamities. Most houses in the city areas are made up of

cheap local materials including low quality wood scrap metal, and other

earth products which are temporary and unsafe. This is truly alarming

because we are prone to earthquakes and calamities Adobe can be a

building material that is structurally efficient but at the same time, eco-

friendly, and it suits in a country like Philippines.

The general objective of this study is to identify the strength and

durability of adobe stone in construction. The specific objective of this

study is to know the difference between adobe and modern materials for

construction, to determine the effectiveness of using adobe in houses and

establishments and to identify if adobe structures are durable.

 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

(Research Paradigm)

INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUT

‘Adobe’
(stone or mud Mixing of Cement
‘A wall that is
brick)
Make the Mold made up of
Cement adobe and other
Layering construction
Water material’
Drying
Concrete Mixer

Figure 1: Paradigm for building a wall

Figure 1 depicts a step by step process where you can build a wall

that is made up of adobe and cement. It is widely used around the world,

but the oldest stone church in the Philippines which is the San Agustin

church in Manila is made up of Adobe.

 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Adobe structures can be easily maintained, and also repaired and

renovate in the event of structural damage. In addition to being an

inexpensive material with a small resource cost, it can be use as an

alternative building material from modern construction. This study seeks

to answer the following:

1. How does adobe dissimilar from modern materials for construction?

2. How can the adobe walls resist the impact of earthquakes?

3. How useful is adobe for houses and establishments?

4. Why does adobe is suitable for building walls here in the

Philippines?
 ASSUMPTION

Adobe walls will be an earth and organic materials that can

withstand the earthquakes.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Adobe is one of the earliest building materials in construction

industry. It is also widely used today and it is commonly found in Asia,

America and Europe. Its wide use can be attributed to its simplicity of

design and manufacture, and economics. This research could be highly

significant and beneficial specifically to the following:

Filipinos – The benefits associated with reduced loss of life can be

defined as the value to individuals especially the locals in the Philippines

of reducing risk of death from an earthquake. Efforts directed toward

obtaining the impact of the earthquake resistive structure can help people

in our community. The benefits of constructing earthquake

resistant establishments are savings in property damage, injuries and

lives that may happen in event of an earthquake. Filipinos are able

to extend the overall worth of their homes in case it has been purchased

as an investment. These homes tend to be assessed at higher values

that those that are built using conventional technologies. Over all, it has

been found that these structures optimize comfort, energy efficiency

and quietness within homes.

Government and Economy- It has been found in a number of

developed and developing nations, that buildings that were engineering

using concrete components and earthquake resistant methodologies

primarily remained undamaged even during quakes registering at 8.0

magnitudes on the Richter scale. Government assures that the nation’s

comprehensive safety for yourself and your family in times of natural

disasters, you can make sure that you do not experience any unwanted

damage to life as well as property.

Architect and Engineers- The guidelines, standards, and codes

available to earthquake engineers for the design of new structures and

the rehabilitation of existing structures hold promise for protecting lives

and the built environment against the largest expected earthquakes can

be easily solve by the engineers, the structure they built can be a

resistive building that can protect many lives. When an earthquake

occurs and structures experience more damage than their owners and
engineers judge acceptable, the community of engineers adjusts

design standards to avoid a repeat occurrence.

Environment – It is a big help to our environment if we use an eco-

friendly materials, it lessen the use of plastic and chemicals that might

affect our health and environment. An eco-friendly materials can be a

good source of strong foundation in engineering field. A composite

material made of earth mixed with water and an organic material is an

eco- friendly solution to avoid the use of other materials that has

chemicals.
 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study directly involves the people in Philippines, especially the

locals in Manila. This study aims to expand the use of adobe in the

Philippines. We all know that San Agustin Church is the oldest stone

church in the Philippines and it is made up of adobe. Numerous

earthquakes shaken the stone church but none of it destroyed the

church. The only limitation of this study is that people uses other

engineering techniques to step up the foundation of their houses.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Adobe - is a building material made from earth and other organic

materials.

Magnitude - is a measure of earthquake size and remains unchanged

with distance from the earthquake.

Intensity - describes the degree of shaking caused by an earthquake at

a given place and decreases with distance from the earthquake epicenter.

Engineering - it is the application of mathematics, science, economics,

Empirical evidence, and social and practical knowledge to invent,

innovate, design, build, maintain, research, and improve structures,

machines, tools, systems, components, materials, processes, solutions,

and organizations.

Earthquake - is the shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from

The sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates

seismic waves.

Construction - is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDY

Related Literature

Adobe mud blocks are one of the oldest and most widely used

building materials. Use of these sun-dried blocks dates back to 8000 B.C.

(Houben and Guillard 1994, referenced in EERI adobe tutorial). The use

of adobe is very common in some of the world’s most hazard-prone

regions, such as Latin America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and other

parts of Asia, the Middle East, and southern Europe. Around 30% of the

world’s population live in earth-made construction. Approximately 50% of

the population in developing countries, including the majority of the rural

population and at least 20% of the urban and suburban population, live in

earthen dwellings. By and large, mainly low-income rural populations use

this type of construction.

Adobe is a low-cost, readily available construction material, usually

manufactured by local communities. Adobe structures are generally self-

made because the construction practice is simple and does not require

additional energy resources. Often the blocks are made from local soil in

a homeowner’s yard or nearby. Mud mortar is typically used between the

blocks. Skilled engineers and architects are generally not involved in this
type of construction; hence the term, “nonengineered construction,” is

used to describe the result. Worldwide use of adobe is mainly in rural

areas, where houses are typically one story, 3 m high, with wall

thicknesses ranging from 0.25 m to 0.80 m. In mountainous regions with

steep hillsides, such as the Andes, houses can be up to three stories high.

In parts of the Middle East, one finds that the roof of one house is used

as the floor of the house above. Urban adobe houses are found in most

developing countries. However, they are not permitted by building codes

in countries like Argentina, or in specific cities like San Salvador due to

their poor seismic behavior.

In addition to its low cost and simple construction technology,

adobe construction has other advantages, such as excellent thermal and

acoustic properties. However, most traditional adobe construction

responds very poorly to earthquake ground shaking, suffering serious

structural damage or collapse and causing a significant loss of life and

property. In the 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador, 1,100 people died,

more than 150,000 adobe buildings were severely damaged or collapsed,

and over 1,600,000 people were affected (Dowling 2004a). That same

year, an earthquake in the south of Peru caused the deaths of 81 people,

the destruction of almost 25,000 adobe houses, and damage to another

36,000 houses (EERI adobe tutorial).

 In the latest 2003 Bam earthquake, more than 26,000 people died

and over 60,000 were left without shelter, primarily due to the collapse of

adobe houses (EERI 2004). Adobe buildings are not safe in seismic areas

because their walls are heavy and they have low strength and brittle

behavior. During strong earthquakes, due to their large mass, these

structures develop high levels of seismic forces, which they are unable to

resist, and therefore they fail abruptly. Typical modes of failure during

earthquakes are severe cracking and disintegration of walls, separation of

walls at the corners, and separation of roofs from the walls, which can

lead to collapse (Marcial Blondet and Gladys Villa Garcia M.).

Due to its low cost, adobe construction will continue to be used in

high-risk seismic areas of the world. Development of cost-effective

building technologies leading to improved seismic performance of adobe

construction is of utmost importance to a substantial percentage of the

global population living in adobe buildings.

The most important factor for the improved seismic performance

of adobe construction is to provide reinforcement for the walls.

Earthquake shaking will cause adobe walls to crack at the corners and to

break up in large blocks. The role of the reinforcement therefore is to

keep these large pieces of adobe wall together. A ring beam (also known

as a crown, collar, bond, or tie-beam, or seismic band) that ties the walls
in a box-like structure is one of the most essential components of

earthquake resistance for loadbearing masonry construction. The ring

beam must be strong, continuous, and well tied to the walls, and it must

receive and support the roof. The ring beam can be made of concrete or

timber.

The walls are the main earthquake-resisting elements of adobe

houses; therefore they need to be abundant and very stable. They should

be tied together to ensure mutual support and should have some

reinforcement to keep them together after they have broken due to the

seismic forces.

The soil used to fabricate the adobe blocks and the mud mortar

must contain clay, since it provides strength to the dry materials.

Unfortunately, clay shrinks during drying; therefore an excessive amount

of clay will cause cracking of the blocks and mortar due to shrinkage, and

loss of strength in the adobe masonry. Straw, wheat husk, and to a lesser

extent, coarse sand can be used as additives to control this cracking and

thus to improve the strength of adobe masonry. The quality of

workmanship also plays an important role in obtaining strong adobe

masonry. Good workmanship can improve the strength of adobe masonry

by up to 100% (WHE adobe tutorial).

 Dynamic tests conducted by researchers in Peru have

demonstrated that a good solution for existing adobe houses is an

external reinforcement consisting of wide strips of wire mesh (1 mm

wires spaced at ¾ inches) nailed with metallic bottle caps against the

adobe as shown in the figure below (Zegarra et al. 1997, referenced in

WHE adobe tutorial). The mesh is placed in horizontal and vertical strips

simulating beams and columns and is covered with cement and sand

mortar. Several houses reinforced with this technique did not suffer any

damage during the 2001 earthquake in the south of Peru, even though

similar unreinforced houses in the vicinity collapsed or suffered significant

damage.

Historic adobe buildings, regardless of their important architectural

or cultural value, are also prone to suffer damage during strong

earthquakes. Thus, it is important to provide adequate upgrading to

these buildings to ensure life-safety protection and at the same time to

preserve their authenticity. The Getty Conservation Institute recently

carried out a project to develop technical procedures to prevent the

structural instability of historic adobe buildings during earthquakes, with

minimal intervention to their original fabric (Tolles et al. 2002). Nine

small-scale (1:5) and two large-scale (1:2) model buildings were

subjected to shaking table tests to compare different reinforcement

systems. An effective retrofit system was developed, consisting of straps

made of woven nylon placed horizontally or vertically, forming loops

around the entire building or around individual walls. Nylon cross-ties

were added to hold these straps. Vertical steel rods drilled directly into

the adobe walls were effective in delaying and limiting both the inplane

and out-of-plane wall damage. Wood bond-beams or partial wood

diaphragms were placed to achieve integral participation of the walls.

All the religions particularly those with origin from Middle East; the

holy lands what western called the Bible lands, Jerusalem, Babylon,

Nineveh, Assyria, the land of Pharaohs, are the major testifiers of the

virtues of clay as a friend of humanity. New materials like glass fiber and

carbon fiber together with special binding materials are being employed

to repair the damaged structures. But the people of third world countries

can not afford this luxury of using highly expensive and industrially

produced materials of construction which would have to be imported at

the exorbitant prices. Therefore, these countries must resort to local

materials with minimum possible industrial 14 processing for the use of

building, the infra-structure and the houses at a relatively lower cost

without compromising on the durability, strength and elegance.

In Jakarta, Manila, Mexico city and Calcutta millions of squatters

camp indefinitely in structures made of cardboard, sheet plastic and

flattened cans, on strip of land beside canals and railways, sometimes

even in the shadows of high-rise “low-cost” housing. In Australia, the

Chines practice / construction techniques are proposed to be introduced

particularly related to mud bricks produced rammed earth pool mold wall.

It was replaced to a stone church and an adjacent monastery was

added by the Augustinian priors which begun in 1586. The building had

been built out of hewn adobe stones quarried from districts outside

Manila. The construction proceeded slowly due to lack of funds and

shortage of stone materials. Under the design of Juan Macias, the church

was declared completed in 1607. The Augustinians officially acknowledge

Macias as the builder of the church, who died before its completion. The

structure withstood major earthquakes that struck the city in 1645, 1754,

1852, 1863 and 1880. (Ron Siojo, 2012)

The church and monastery would be completed by 1630 but it

suffered from significant damage caused by an earthquake in 1658.

Repairs were made over time but a century later in 1762, British forces

attacked Manila and they occupied and looted the church-monastery

complex. However, the 19th century would not be a fortunate year as far

as the structures are concerned. An earthquake in 1884 reduced a

portion of the complex to mess and the original Spanish Lady of

Guadalupe to be destroyed. And before repairs could be done completely,

the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896 and the complex was

occupied by the Filipino revolutionaries. The complex was a site of heavy

fighting between the Filipinos and the Spanish forces, then the American

forces by 1899. As a result, the structures suffered from fire and artillery

and the structures remained in ruins for many years. Regardless of what

it has gone through over the course of centuries, the Nuestra Señora de

Gracia Church stands today as an example of our history that has

managed to survive the odds and remain a landmark for generations to

come. (Karl Aguilar, 2017)

Related Studies

Adobe has been used as a construction material for hundreds of

years, and even today, a great number of people still live in adobe

houses in various parts of the world. This is for reasons of local

availability and because buildings constructed from adobe can create

healthier environments. As a case study, this paper analyses a building

complex made primarily of adobe masonry and reinforced concrete. The

complex, a country club located 35km from Istanbul, consists of a 19-

room hotel, a restaurant, and a horse stable. Both the hotel and

restaurant were constructed in two flats of locally produced adobe and

have been in service since 1998. This paper describes the construction

techniques and methods used to produce the adobe. It presents

experimental tests of the mechanical and physical properties of the

material, comparing to local construction standards and to the properties

of other common building materials. Finally, the paper evaluates the

suitability of adobe masonry construction for the Istanbul area.

Adobe construction has been an ecologically sound, low- 16 cost

building technique in many parts of the world for thousands of years. The

historical and current use of adobe in the southwestern U.S. Economic,

social and environmental considerations indicate that in this region,

adobe is a truly appropriate technology. It is long-lasting conserver of

energy, uses local building materials, creates jobs, requires little capital,

and fits culturally.

The use of earth can mitigate the human suffering and loss of life

after the disaster which is ideal solution. It is cost-effective using site

materials and solves nearly every problem. It is useful in most complex

environmental conditions.
 METHODOLOGY

Statement of the
Objective Method Data
Problem

1. How does General Objective The method The data will

adobe differ from To identify the used for this be presented

modern materials strength and descriptive in qualitative

for construction? durability of scientific study form.

2. How can adobe stone in is

the adobe walls construction. observational

resist the impact Specific Objectives method in

of earthquakes 1. To know the gathering data.

and climate difference The researcher

disasters? between adobe interviewed

3. How useful and modern people that are

is adobe for materials for aligned in the

infrastructure construction. Engineering

and 2. To determine field.

establishments? the

effectiveness of
4. Why does using adobe in

adobe is suitable houses and

for building walls establishments.

here in the 3. To identify if

Philippines? adobe

structures are

durable.
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Statement of the Results Experimental Test

Problem

1 . How does adobe Adobe is a readily The researcher will be

dissimilar from modern available construction using observational
materials for material, usually method in gathering
construction? manufactured by local data for this
communities and does descriptive scientific
not require energy study.
resources. Skilled The researcher will
engineers and conduct an interview to
architects are generally a professionals that are
not involved in this knowledgeable in
type of construction; construction industry.
hence the term, “non-
engineered
construction”, is use to
describe the result.
2. How can the adobe The most important The researcher will be
walls resist the impact factor for the improved using observational
of earthquakes? seismic performance of method in gathering
adobe construction is data for this
to provide descriptive scientific
reinforcement for the study.
walls. Earthquake The researcher will
shaking will cause conduct an interview to
adobe walls to crack at a professionals that are
the corners and to knowledgeable in
break up in large construction industry.
blocks. The role of the
reinforcement is to
keep these large pieces
of adobe wall together.
3. How useful is adobe Adobe construction is The researcher will be
for houses and the development of using observational
establishments? cost- effective building method in gathering
technologies leading to data for this
improved seismic descriptive scientific
performance of adobe study.
 construction is utmost The researcher will
importance to a conduct an interview to
substantial percentage a professionals that are
of the global knowledgeable in
population loving in construction industry.
adobe buildings.
4. Why does adobe In Jakarta, The researcher will be
is suitable for building Manila, Mexico city and using observational
walls here in the Calcutta millions of method in gathering
Philippines? squatters camp data for this
indefinitely in descriptive scientific
structures made of study.
cardboard, sheet The researcher will
plastic and flattened conduct an interview to
cans, on strip of land a professionals that are
beside canals and knowledgeable in
railways. Adobe is construction industry.
suitable in most
complex environmental
conditions. This is for
reasons of local
availability and
because buildings
constructed from
adobe can create
healthier
environments.

As shown in the figure above, statement of the problem is stated

next to Results that answers all the questions. Last is the experimental

methods that involves observation and ideas from professionals.

 SUMMARY

This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the

durability of adobe stone for construction purposes. Due to its durability,

adobe stone has the capacity to resist earthquake if proper construction

and ratio of materials were followed. For a country like Philippines, it is

suitable to use adobe stones as a construction materials. Adobe stone is

very useful for an earthquake prone country, it provides strength for

houses and establishments. Aside from its durability, it can be easily

found in our country.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that adobe

stone can be used for a low- cost housing in the Philippines. Additional

finishing like cement plaster can strengthen the adobe stone. Cement

plaster is a mixture of suitable plaster, sand, portland cement and water

which is normally applied to masonry interiors and exteriors to achieve a

smooth surface. It can be easily understand by a ‘non-engineered’ people

to achieve establishments that can withstand earthquakes.

 RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that further studies be carried out on students

from Jaime Cardinal Sin Learning Center and students from other school

to see whether there are any similarities in the findings. Furthermore,

future researcher could also explore other raw materials that has the

same durability like adobe stone. Future researcher could also explore if

there is any raw material that can be added from adobe aside from

cement plaster.
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