This work aimed to study the absorption and desorption behavior
of some clay – sandy plasters reinforced with natural fi bers that could be used for
straw bale buildings. The plaster materials consisted of soil, sand and chopped
straw. Straw is used as a reinforcement fi ber for plaster. Three types of fi bers were
used, namely wheat straw, barley straw and sawdust. The desorption behavior
of plaster materials was tested at different temperatures of 30 ° C, 50 ° C and 70 ° C.
The results showed that the plaster reinforced with fi bers dried slower compared
to those that have no fi bers. On the other hand, faster drying led to cracks in the
plaster, which is not desirable in building surface coating. The moisture absorption
rate increased with increasing fi bers content and decreased with increased sand
content. Moreover, the highest value for the moisture absorption rate was obtained
for the plaster reinforced with sawdust, whereas the lowest value of moisture
absorption rate was obtained for the plaster without reinforcement fi bers.