APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL MATERIALS FOR THERMAL INSULATION: “LA SIERVA”.

Marco Guerrini1

1 Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Architettura - Scuola Politecnica. Università degli Studi di Genova, Stradone di Sant'Agostino, 37, 16123 Genova. (marco_guerrini85@alice.it)

ABSTRACT

Energy saving: the use of traditional materials and local building techniques are the path followed to obtain an appropriate technology. From a project of research on rural area of "Appennino Ligure", located in Liguria, northern of Italy, the traditional construction technology has been revisited starting from the internal partitions elements (called "Sierve").

The experimental research aims to maintain the characteristics of traditional construction technique and apply plaster with thermal properties, to create a system of insulation-coating to insulate the matt surfaces on the buildings, with the purpose of generating a model based on the recovery of the local materials and traditional construction techniques.

The analysis of construction techniques (studies of traditional materials and construction processes) is focused on the casing of matt surface because it is the main cause of energy dispersion.

The thermal plaster, with binder based on earth (especially clay, but also all the ground with other elements contained in it), involves the use of aggregate materials with thermal insulation capacity: sawdust, manure, vermiculite and expanded clay.

Tests were carried out on the mechanical, chemical and physical properties on the various mixtures made, and on their behaviour in contact with the support wood-structure.

I also studied the contribution in terms of binding capacity, and permeability of the binder: the difference between earth and earth with manure. The results obtained represent a solid base which can be used for the application of the insulating system inside of the buildings in that area.

Parole chiave/Key-words: Appropriate technology, Manure in construction, Earth binder, Local construction technique.