THE NATURAL MATERIAL IN BIOCONSTRUCTION BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION: THE USE OF GIANT REED ARUNDO DONAX L. IN THE RURAL CONSTRUCTIONS

Buildings are accountable for over 40% of energy use in OECD countries. Most energy is used for indoor environment control and artificial lighting; the rest is used for the production of materials used in buildings construction and demolition. The correct utilization of natural materials could lead to energy saving during the use of the buildings and during the demolition phase because less material would be subjected to transformations energy expenses. Moreover, the study of material properties, in order to choose the most suitable products, allows energy saving during the building lifespan. Moreover, the utilization of local materials in rural buildings minimizes the energy cost for transport as well as its environmental impacts, because, when the building is demolished, the material can be reintroduced into the environmental system. In this work the principal physical and mechanical properties of the giant reed (Arundo donax L.) are studied and analysed. It is a natural material available everywhere around the world and is an abundant natural resource particularly in temperate climates and subtropical areas. The giant reed has been a conventional construction material since ancient times. It has been used to make baskets, building walls, fences, roofs, floors, music instruments, paper, bio-fuel. Owing to its lower thermal conductivity coefficient, in some places, it is also used in rural traditional constructions. This paper proposes new technical solutions to use the giant reed in sustainable rural constructions and in the industry of eco-buildings.