PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARTHEN BARNS USED FOR FOOD CROP STORAGE IN THE NORTH-WEST OF BENIN (WEST AFRICA) (80,00 руб.)

ИННОВАЦИОННЫЕ ПРОГРАММЫ ИНЖЕНЕРНЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARTHEN BARNS USED FOR FOOD CROP STORAGE IN THE NORTHWEST OF BENIN (WEST AFRICA) M. Gibigaye1, C. Zevounou1, G.L. Gbaguidi1, C. Kaki2, R.A. Laibi2, I. Ambarka1, G. Degan1 1Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey Calavi, LEMA c/3577 Fidjrosse Cotonou R Benin 2Faculte des Sciences et Techniques DST B.P. 526, Cotonou Benin Atacora and Donga are two departments regarded as the barns of Benin. <...> In these two regions, the surplus of food crops harvested by farmers is stocked in earthen barns whose primary construction material is kneaded clay soil with an admixture of vegetable straws (fonio, rice…) pounded beforehand. <...> The following research is designed to scrutinize the variation of compression strength and/or tensile strength of the used earthen material with respect to the optimum straw content, and the fluctuation of the fracture related parameters. <...> Laboratory tests have shown that an optimum straw content of 2% provides the highest compression strength with the best mechanical performances in terms of cohesion and internal angle of friction. <...> Tensile strength, however, continues to increase with higher straw percentages with no breakpoint indication. <...> Moreover, the laboratory determination of the composite material’s modulus of elasticity has proven that the used soil does not have a linear elastic behavior. <...> Key words: earthen barns, clay soil, vegetable straws, strength, fracture related parameters. <...> The use of earthen barns is a very old tradition in the north-west of Benin where it is perfectly integrated in an efficient storage system of cereals (grains of corn, fonio sorghum and others), legumes (voandzou, beans, peas), and cossette (dried yam used to make flour). <...> Compared with other storage structures used for food products (wood storage sheds, barns made of bamboo, etc.), earthen barns are more suitable from a sustainability standpoint (longevity of more than 40 years), in terms of storage capacity (more than 3 m3), and in regards to the stock protection against parasites and rodents. <...> This article aims at bringing out the physical and mechanical characteristics of earthen barns so as to properly size other food <...>