The natural material in bioconstruction between tradition and innovation: The use of giant reed Arundo donax L. in the rural constructions

Buildings are accountable for over 40% of energy use in OECD countries. Most energy is used for indoor environment control and artificial lighting, the rest is used for the production of materials, buildings construction and demolition. The correct utilization of natural materials could lead to energy saving during the use of the buildings and during the phase of demolition because the less the material is subjected to transformations the less energy expensive it is. Moreover, the study of the properties of materials, in order to choose the most suitable one, allows energy saving during the building use. In particular, the utilization of local material in rural buildings minimizes the energy cost for its transport as well as its environmental impact, because, when the building is demolished, the material is reintroduced into the environmental system. In this work the principal physical and mechanical properties of the giant reed (Arundo donax L.) are studied and analysed. It is a natural material available everywhere around the world and is an abundant natural resource particularly in temperate climate and subtropical areas. The giant reed has been a conventional construction material since ancient times. It has been used to make baskets, building walls, fences, roofs, floors, music instruments, paper, bio-fuel. Owing to its lower thermal conductivity coefficient, in some places, it is also used in rural traditional constructions. This paper proposes new technical solutions to use the giant reed in sustainable rural constructions and in the industry of eco-buildings.