This article looks at the use of local materials for sustainable construction, focusing on a composite combining Sebikotane clay and ground Typha australis fibers. The study aims to overcome the limitations of clay, such as swelling and shrinkage, by incorporating natural fibers as stabilizers.
Particle size analysis reveals that Sebikotane clay, the base material studied, is made up of 48% clay, 10% silt, and 42% fine sand. Atterberg limit tests confirm significant plasticity, while tests carried out on clay-Typha composites with fiber incorporation rates varying from 0 to 8% show a compressive strength of between 1.38 and 2.07 MPa.
The addition of fibers significantly reduces volume shrinkage (up to 88.88% with 8% fibers) but is accompanied by an increase in loss on ignition, reaching 17.6% with 8% Typha.
Analysis of the results shows that to ensure optimum performance in construction, particularly in terms of mechanical strength and dimensional stability, it is advisable to limit the incorporation of Typha fibers to a maximum of 4%.