Exploring Light Permeability of Rammed Earth Blocks with Recycled Glass

Abstract

This study aims to address the environmental issues arising from traditional building materials such as concrete and steel by introducing a building unit that combines rammed earth with recycled glass. The use of glass alongside earth aims to enhance illumination levels and light permeability in interiors without using conventional building components like doors or windows. The scope includes fabricating blocks with varying hollow and glass material ratios to measure their light transmittance capacities. A setup involving a light source, an earthen block, and a lux meter is developed to calculate light transmittance for both non-filled and glass-filled blocks. Results indicate that when the developed unit is used to produce a wall, it can provide illumination levels from 750 to 34,500 lux in interior spaces.