Sustainable Local Materials: A Study of Adobe Bricks in Saudi Arabia

Abstract:

The importance of local building materials has long been a significant point in all communities for thousands of years. It is well established that local materials form the backbone of construction in societies as they are the best response to the region's climate conditions. This study aims to determine the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing local materials in building construction. Specifically, it focuses on analyzing adobe bricks and examines whether it is suitable for the modern times. Saudi Arabia, a country that extensively relied on petroleum to flourish, is re-establishing itself by introducing the Saudi Vision 2030, a call of action to rely on available sustainable assets to develop the country. In this context, this research intends to demonstrate how promoting local materials' usage in construction would correspond with the vision's aims. This paper attempts to raise awareness about the local alternatives available and encourage utilizing them rather than the conventional building materials widely used, which are often not entirely suitable for Saudi Arabia's harsh desert climate. To further support this research, historical research proved that buildings built with local materials had withstood the test of time. This paper explores adobe as a case study because it is a unique building material in its style and sustainability. The intensive research results revealed that adobe bricks are a versatile material that gives different characteristics depending on the mixture of materials used to make them. On this basis, this paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of adobe bricks while proposing potential solutions to overcome the drawbacks.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1047)
• Pages: 163-173
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1047.163
• Online since: October 2021
• Authors: Heba Azouqah*, Noura Alomar, L. Kaadan, M. Sonbul, H. Abdulaziz, W. Labib
• Keywords: Adobe Bricks, Desert Region, Ecologically Friendly, Local Materials, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Vision 2030, Sustainability

References

[1] Adekunle, T. O., & Odeyale, T. O. (2008). Innovative and sustainable local material in traditional African architecture? Socio cultural dimension. In D'Ayala, D., & Fodde, E. (Eds.), Structural analysis of historic construction: Preserving safety and significance (p.991–998). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781439828229.ch113.

DOI: 10.1201/9781439828229.ch113

[2] Use local materials. (2001), Green Home Building. www.greenhomebuilding.com/localmaterials.htm.

[3] Morel, J., Mesbah, A., Oggero, M., & Walker, P. (2001). Building houses with local materials means to drastically reduce the environmental impact of construction. Building and Environment, 36(10), 1119–1126. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0360-1323(00)00054-8.

DOI: 10.1016/s0360-1323(00)00054-8

[4] Endresen, Ø. (2003). Emission from international sea transportation and environmental impact. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(D17). https://doi.org/10.1029/2002jd002898.

DOI: 10.1029/2002jd002898

[5] Ciancio, D., & Beckett, C. (2013). Rammed earth: An overview of a sustainable construction material. In SCMT3: Third international conference on sustainable construction materials and technology, August 18-21, 2013, Kyoto, Japan: Proceedings. Japanese Concrete Institute.

[6] Asshidin, N. H. N., Abidin, N., & Borhan, H. B. (2016). Perceived quality and emotional value that influence consumers purchase intention towards American and local products. Procedia Economics and Finance, 35, 639–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(16)00078-2.

DOI: 10.1016/s2212-5671(16)00078-2

[7] Shahzad Akbar, M., & Zafar Azeemi, N. (2017). Factors affecting consumers' behavior towards e-shop in KSA. Strategic Management Quarterly, 5(3-4), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.15640/smq.v5n3-4a2.

[8] Attwood, J. (2004). Revise for product design: Graphics with materials technology. Heinemann Educational.

[9] King, G. (1998). The traditional architecture of Saudi Arabia. I.B. Tauris.

[10] Babsail, M. O., & Al-Qawasmi, J. (2018). Vernacular architecture in Saudi Arabia: Revival of displaced traditions. In Mileto, C., Vegas, F., García Soriano, L., & Cristini, V. (Eds.), Vernacular architecture: Towards a sustainable future (p.99–104). Taylor & Francis Group.

DOI: 10.1201/b17393

[11] Mohamed, M., Klingmann, A., & Samir, H. (2019). Examining the thermal performance of vernacular houses in Asir region of Saudi Arabia. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 58(2), 419–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2019.03.004.

DOI: 10.1016/j.aej.2019.03.004

[12] Bayt Nassif. (n.d.). ArchNet. https://archnet.org/sites/3794.

[13] Arab News. (2019, May 31). ThePlace: Murabba Palace is one of Riyadh's prominent historical landmarks. Arab News. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1504841/saudi-arabia.

[14] Moriyama and Teshima Architects. (2016). National Museum of Saudi Arabia.

[15] King Salman Kidney Diseases Center. (n.d.). Architects77. Retrieved February 5, 2020, from https://architects77.com/portfolio/king-salman-kidney-diseases-center/.

[16] King Salman Kidney Diseases Center. (n.d.). Omrania. https://omrania.com/project/saudi-center-for-organ-transplantation-king-salman-kidney-diseases-center.

[17] Sustainable materials - building with earth and stone. (2017, November 1). Omrania. https://omrania.com/inspiration/sustainable-materials-building-earth-stone.

[18] Facey, W., & Ibn ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz, S. I. S. (2015). Back to earth: Adobe building in Saudi Arabia. Al-Turath.

[19] Enteria, N., Awbi, H. B., & Santamouris, M. (2020). Building in hot and humid regions: Historical perspective and technological advances. Springer.

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-7519-4

[20] Mortada, H. (2016). Sustainable desert traditional architecture of the central region of Saudi Arabia. Sustainable Development, 24(6), 383–393. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1634.

DOI: 10.1002/sd.1634

[21] Almehrej, M. I. (2015). A design guide for contemporary Saudi Arabian homes in Riyadh [Doctoral dissertation, Northumbria University].

[22] Enamul Hoque, Abu Naser Md. Feasibility of Adobe as a Construction Material A Case Study., KFUPM EPrints, 1 July 1991, eprints.kfupm.edu.sa/id/eprint/1863/.

[23] Benghida, D. (2015). Adobe bricks: The best eco-friendly building material. Advanced Materials Research, 1105, 386–390. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1105.386.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1105.386