Pic 1. The mud should be mixed with water to form a
sticky substance
2. Using Mud as an alternative building material
Clay is readily available in Sudan, although its properties and colour differ from one
region to the next. In the south and Nuba Mountains it is a red coloured substance that
contains iron while in Dabal in central Sudan it is black.
One of the most important tasks for those wishing to use clay for building is to find out
the quality of the clay in the area. There are a number of indigenous ways of doing this
which do not require excessive amounts of measuring equipment, three of these are
outlined below. However if you desire more accurate ways of determining the quality of
clay, please contact the Practical Answers Team.
2.1. Shrink Test
a) Choose a small amount of soil that is to be tested and mix it into a dough like
mixture. Put the mixture on a plastic sheet and beat it to remove air and produce
a good consistent mixture.
b) Following this the mixture should be rolled between your hands until it is long
and thin (see picture 1), measuring 10 cm in length and then left to dry for 24
hours. Using the rule it should be measured again to see how much the clay has
shrunk. Ideally for good quality clay it should not have shrunk more than 10%
Practical Answers Sudan
The Construction of the Timberless House Model