19/05/2025
Proceeding as planned (and even ahead of schedule) with our research project (PHD IN INDUSTRY/1222/0081 * - Acronym EcoBuildMat) and, more specifically with Work Package 6, titled "On-site performance of CEB wallettes". In its context, CEB wallettes were to be built using the prototype CEBs produced in WP4 of the project. The foundation is comprised of different types of local natural building stone. The wallettes were not rendered, in order to enable direct impact of the weather conditions on the building material. However, they were covered with roofing tiles on their top side. The wallettes were placed in different orientations and in two different locations (one urban, one rural) to check the effect of micro-climate on their performance.
The wallettes will be used to assess the effect of weather conditions on the CEBs. In this framework, a coupled effect of various phenomena will be observed (e.g., rising damp, wind-driven rain, wetting and drying and secondary impact of water droplets). These phenomena correlate to the testing methodologies that have been and will be carried out to characterize the building materials in the laboratory (WP3, WP4 and WP5). The effect of wind-driven rain on the walls of the structure will be assessed based on the pit depth that will be caused by the impact of the droplets and also by image analysis of the entire area of the wall, to estimate material loss and to observe in which area the weathering is more severe. Beyond driving rain, the secondary impact of water droplets because of splashing from the ground will be assessed by measuring the pit depth in the lower area of each wallette. Furthermore, visual observation will be carried out to observe any potential problems, such as fretting, severe material loss, cracking and efflorescence, caused by alternating cycles of wetting and drying. The aforementioned observations and measurements will be correlated to the results of the laboratory tests carried out in previous WPs to ensure that the latter correspond to the on-site performance of the CEBs.
* The Project PHD IN INDUSTRY/1222/0081 is funded by the Republic of Cyprus, through the Research and Innovation Foundation.
