Use of clay and olive pruning waste for building materials with high hygrothermal performances

Several clayey materials incorporating different percentages of leaves and small branches derived from the pruning of olive trees were prepared and tested in Thermophysical Laboratory of Polytechnic University of Bari. Hygrothermal properties were measured according to technical standards. In order to consider the potential of earthen materials to improve indoor comfort, the software WUFI®Plus was used to simulate the hygrothermal behavior of a Test Building, placed in a Mediterranean climate. The analysis was carried out considering the internal surface of the walls of the building covered by two different plasters i.e. gypsum plaster and clayey plaster with 6% of olive waste. Results demonstrated that when considering an unconditioned scenario (without HVAC system) the clayey plaster lead up to a greater improvement of the hygric performances, unlike traditional coverings as gypsum plaster. However, in presence of HVAC system any significant variations occurs in terms of energy saving.