The effectiveness of the social housing design requires solutions concerned with both technical and environmental performances. This article discuss modular coordination and present the proposal for the EVAi (interlocked Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) block, taking into consideration mechanical and thermal performance assessments, based on conceptual and experimental approaches. The proposed block is non-structural, and was designed with dimensions and geometry compatible with interlocked masonry. The concrete mix was optimized for the production of precast elements, incorporating waste from a local shoe industry. The proposed blocks present improvements concerning handling during masonry production, due to the mechanical performance, the lightness of the components and the interlocked geometry with adequate fittings and dimensions. Compared with conventional ceramic brick masonry, the thermal performance of the EVAi block masonry is better. Moreover, the adoption of the interlocked geometry in social housing design resulted in improvements in terms of dimensional adjustments of the components, leading to waste reduction. The comparison between the proposed building system and the traditional technology points out the importance of the architectural design as a driving force for the advancement and dissemination of alternative and sustainable technologies.
EVA waste; EVAi blocks; Masonry; Interlocked; Performance
