Water use optimization in tepetate renders through the use of polysaccharides
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33064/iycuaa2026988348Keywords:
Sustainable construction, tepetate, earth renders, water efficiency, bioprospecting, polysaccharidesAbstract
Earth renders, historically used to protect adobe, wattle-and-daub, and rammed earth buildings, have lost their construction tradition due to massive cement adoption. Tepetate, a volcanic soil abundant in Mexico, represents a sustainable alternative but demands high water volumes to achieve adequate workability. The construction industry consumes approximately 16% of global freshwater, and in Mexico, where 76% of the territory experiences moderate to severe drought conditions, optimizing water use is an imperative necessity. This study optimizes water use in tepetate renders through heteropolysaccharides from Mexican endemic plants and industrial glycerol. Optimized formulations achieved water reductions up to 65%. Agave mucilage at 0.5% reached compressive strengths of 42.09 kg/cm² (157% higher than control), while glycerol formulations at 1.5% demonstrated exceptional resistance to surface water impact (422 vs. 5 minutes). This approach establishes a replicable model for bio-construction and sustainable heritage restoration in arid regions.
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