This investigation looked at the climatic variables affecting the durability of earth buildings and the relationship between these climatic variables and their laboratory counterparts, with the aim of providing a means whereby performance in the field under known climatic conditions can be predicted by performance in the laboratory. The investigation showed that the major climatic factors influencing the erosion of earth walls due to wind-driven rain are impacting rainfall volume, drop impact velocity (as determined by wind conditions), raindrop size and duration of rainfall. A vertical rain gauge was calibrated with climatic conditions at a test site in Sydney to enable accurate prediction of the volume of water impacting test specimens. In the laboratory, a standard spray test was modified by introducing a commercially available nozzle, which produces a turbulent spray of individual drops, rather than a stream of water. Erosion rates using this apparatus were found to vary significantly with time, and a correction formula was derived from experimental results to enable comparison to be made between field and laboratory results. Erosion rates per unit volume of water were found to be proportional to impacting velocity raised to the power 2.5 and inversely proportional to the median drop diameter raised to the power 1.2. A material factor was defined as the 60 minute erosion mass loss divided by the 60 minute volume of impacting water spray. Field tests were carried out over a period of four years and analysed in relation to the associated laboratory test results. Laboratory testing was carried out on one half of split specimens, the other half being subjected to exposure to the weather at Sydney's International Airport, with regular monitoring of wind and rain records. An empirical model was developed and was used to compare field and laboratory results. This confirmed the importance of impacting volume of water and material factor but in this case the calculated correlation between field and laboratory erosions was not improved by the addition of impact velocity and drop size terms.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/183383 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Publisher | University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Design and Architecture |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English, en_AU |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/disclaimer.html, Copyright Kevan Aubrey Heathcote |
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