ZRS’ Johanna Baier and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christof Ziegert developed a draft standard for the current DIN 18940 based on the results of tests at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and numerical analyses by the Technical University of Darmstadt. The document gives advice for design, construction and site execution of load-bearing earth block masonry. The design concept relates closely to design rules for other types of masonry according to EC6-3, taking into account the specific properties of earth block masonry, e.g. moisture-dependent compressive strength, by introducing special factors.
The draft was then discussed and further refined in the DIN committee NA 005-06-08 AA Lehmbau under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christof Ziegert and published in June 2023 as DIN 18940. The standard allows to replace energy-intensive masonry building materials with earth blocks in buildings including categories 1-4. The standard is expected to be included in the MVV TB (Model Administrative Regulation for Technical Building Regulations) of the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) in 2024. Subsequently, the standard will be introduced by building authorities through its inclusion in the LTB (List of Technical Building Regulations) of the individual federal states. Although the standard has not yet been introduced by the building authorities, multi-storey residential buildings are already being designed and realised in accordance with DIN 18940.
