Building with clay is part of sustainable construction. Compared to other mineral building materials, clay materials need significant less energy in production, and can be recycled for the most part without additional energy. Their disposal is usually no problem. This property has in comparison to other mineral materials a whole range of benefits for the environment. Clay building materials are not harmful to health. Used in the interior, they are air-regulating and thus make an important contribution to building hygiene. Assuming a proper processing, clay building materials can prevent mold in the indoor environment thus contributing to the reduction of allergic diseases. Not least their aesthetic effect is an important criterion for clay building materials.
To improve and ease the appropriate and correct use of clay and earth as a building material and to ensure the ecological quality of this building material the Dachverband Lehm e.V. published the “Lehmbau Regeln” in 1999, the first technical building regulations for building with clay and earth in the European Union. For the first time since 1971, when then previous relevant DIN regulations were withdrawn, regulations detailing concrete construction guidelines for building with earth. The Fachkommission Baunormung, the expert panel of the cooperative ARGEBAU, has included the “Lehmbau Regeln” in the list of recognised model technical building regulations.
In the revised version now available the current state of the building with clay in Germany is considered - in particular information on product development and processing, but especially on the usability of clay building materials and components. This contributes to quality assurance in the clay building and the improvement of consumer information.
The Lehmbau Regeln were published by Vieweg + Teubner Verlag in a third, revised edition. The 120-page book costs € 19.90.
www.dachverband-lehm.de
