how to give strength to houses made of clay 1

[nu911]

i am doing a sample of clay and salt particles the problem that after a long time when i intend to break it the sample doesnot break it just get compacted although it looks so strong from the outside the reason for doing this is that i am working on building houses in siwa oasis in egypt and i have to use the materials they have there which is clay and salt particles so i need a natural element to add to clay to give it strength so samples can carry any load

 

[kenvlach]

You can find a lot of useful information on clay construction by doing a search for ‘Adobe construction.’ Here is one site with links to more:

http://www.firebudd.com/adobe/

I would suggest adding ~5 volume % organic fiber (rice straw?) and either 1 wt% Portland cement or asphalt emulsion and coarse aggregate (stones) to improve strength. Ramming as dry a mix as still pliable to high density helps. See

http://www.epsea.org/adobe.html

Note: they do not recommend the traditional addition of straw.

Are you using salt because it is already mixed with the clay, or because it is the only natural aggregate? Although you have an arid climate, I don’t like using salt. It doesn’t bond well due to adsorbed water, and effervesces to the surface. Use sand instead.