There is a growing interest in using earth as a building material
which exhibits excellent physical properties with respect to ecological
design, and fulfils all strength and serviceability requirements
for thermal transmittance. This development is also due to
the present concerns for sustainable development that have arisen
out of extensive environmental problems (such as climate change
and impoverishment of resources) and also rapid pace of technological
development within the building sector. Most building regulations
have increasingly laid down strict criteria for the thermal
performance of buildings rather than the theoretically possible level
of performance derived in the past. This has become necessary
because the energy efficiency of building depends on the ability of
the whole building envelope to retain internal heat, and also considers
other factors such as heat loss and moisture movement
through the walls. Understandably, the need for energy efficient
structures in the built environment is increasing. Residential buildings
use the largest proportion of energy, where heating and cooling
are the predominant forms, and this is exacerbated by the
adoption of air-conditioning, which has increased dramatically in
recent years