IMPACT OF COW DUNG ADDITION ON THE THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF N DJAMENA CLAY

This study investigates the effect of incorporating cow dung (1,10 wt%) into locally sourced clay from NDjamena, with the objective of improving the thermal and mechanical performance of raw earth bricks used in social housing. Thermal conductivity was measured using the hot plate method, thermal diffusivity using the flash method (Degiovanni, 1987; Degiovanni, 1993), and compressive strength through standard mechanical testing. Results show a reduction of thermal conductivity from 0.99 to 0.42 W m K at 10% cow dung, as well as a significant decrease in thermal diffusivity. Compressive strength increases with cow dung content, reaching 8.2 MPa at 10%. This optimal thermomechanical behaviour aligns with earlier reports on organic stabilisation in earthen materials (Gaye, 1998; Sow, 2014).