Thermophysical, Mechanical and Durability Characterization of Adobe Bricks Reinforced with Fonio (Digitaria exilis) Sounds

Buildings constructed using modern materials such as cement are energy-intensive, facilitate heat transfer and thus promote warming inside the building. However, the Sudano-Sahelian regions have a hot climate occupying a large period of the year, thus requiring not only sustainable construction materials, but also which provide thermal comfort in the building by limiting the energy demand for air conditioning. These qualifications are important for sub-Saharan African countries in general and those of the Sudano-Sahelian zone in particular, which need ecological materials with good thermal performance to limit heating inside buildings. This study is an energy recovery of agricultural waste in buildings with a view to offering the populations of the northern regions of Cameroon suitable materials at lower cost for the construction of buildings. The soil used for this study was extracted from the locality of Yagoua where the populations make abundant use of mud bricks. Fonio waste was incorporated at low levels into the earth bricks, particularly at 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, with a view to strengthening their thermophysical and mechanical properties. The results obtained indicate that earth bricks reinforced with 4% waste showed better thermal and mechanical insulation properties compared to other formulations with an improvement of 16% and 78% respectively compared to the unreinforced samples. This research allows us to conclude that fonio waste can be used practically without expense in the building with a view to its energy recovery and will promote not only thermal comfort and the limitation of the energy supply for air conditioning, but the construction of more sustainable buildings with a cleaner environment.