Rwanda Adobe Block Standards
The Rukarakara Adobe Block Standards deliver systemic change by improving the safety, durability, and affordability of adobe housing for the most vulnerable communities in Rwanda.
Ninety-five percent of houses in Rwanda are built with earth. Walls are typically constructed from rukarakara, also known as adobe—an unfired mud brick. While adobe blocks are affordable, locally available, and environmentally sustainable, poor construction practices can result in unsafe, unhygienic, and high-maintenance buildings. The Government of Rwanda recognizes adobe as an important building material for future housing development and is working to develop the necessary regulations and supporting policy for improved adobe construction.
Compared with fired brick, a typical adobe home saves 2.9 tons of upfront greenhouse gas emissions. Its construction also avoids air pollution and deforestation. When paired with construction safety and durability guidance, adobe homes are projected to be longer-lasting, resulting in additional environmental benefits. An adobe block can be returned to the ground when it reaches the end of its usefulness, generating a perfectly circular product.
As a member of the Local Building Materials Think Tank in Rwanda, MASS offered experience in earth construction, structural and geotechnical engineering, and research capacity toward developing appropriate guidelines for adobe block construction quality standards. The goal of the Think Tank was to contribute to the ongoing efforts of the Rwanda Housing Authority and the Rwanda Standards Board to develop safe, durable, and affordable policies for housing in Rwanda. Other Think Tank members include EarthEnable, Rwanda Polytechnic, and Greenpact Africa.
Two important documents were created after research and materials testing: “RS 484: Adobe blocks (Rukarakara) - Specification” and “Technical Guidelines on Adobe Block Construction in Rwanda.” Extracts from the latter have become legislation. Each is written to be accessible to the typical home builder and include low-tech tests whose efficacies were correlated with scientific laboratory testing. MASS continues to support the Government of Rwanda in the dissemination of these documents, working toward the continued and safer use of a familiar material in Rwanda.
Purchase: RS 484: Adobe blocks (Rukarakara) — Specification
Download: Best Practices in Adobe Block (Rukarakara) Construction in Rwanda
Rwanda Housing Authority regulation based on research report: "Technical Guidelines in Adobe Block Construction in Rwanda" (Available in Kinyarwanda only)
