En undersökning av obränd lera som byggnadsmaterial i den svenska byggsektorn

Sammanfattning

Unfired clay is an ancient building material that has been used for centuries, as a result a third of the human population lives in earth houses today. Earth as a building material was neglected during the industrial revolution in Sweden, which means that well developed standards and regulations for earthen material do not exist today. The lack of standards and regulations can cause problems and further delays during the building permit process and does not constitute a stable basis for companies to rely on when designing houses. The Swedish construction sector is currently looking for new building materials with low carbon footprint. Unfired clay has a low climate impact, which can be considered beneficial in helping the building industry achieve today’s climate goals. There are numerus building techniques that can be used in many various ways. Unfired clay can be used as a load-bearing structure, clay plaster and partition walls. This study contains extensive theoretical research where Boverket´s building regulations are reviewed to analyze which regulations are applied to building materials, but also what role standards play in the implementation of new building materials. The study further examines the properties of clay, construction techniques, and some Swedish pilot projects. Due to lack of extensive research, an interview study was used to obtain the interviewee’s personal and professional experiences of building with earth. Can unfired clay become an alternative material in the Swedish building sector with the help of implementation standards and regulations? Yes, unfired clay has the potential to become a building material in Sweden and standards can have a significant influence on the use of the building material.