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Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Engineering Characteristics Of Nest Building Geomaterials Used By Mud Dauber Species, Noura Saleh
Engineering Characteristics Of Nest Building Geomaterials Used By Mud Dauber Species, Noura Saleh
LSU Master's Theses
Mud dauber wasps construct their nests using soil from adjacent areas. Mud dauber nests have been studied from an entomological perspective. However; the properties of the nest material remain unexplored from a soil engineering perspective. This study investigated the physical and mechanical properties of the nest soil for use in future bio-inspired design to improve soil behavior as a construction material. To achieve this goal, nests from three mud dauber species (black and yellow, organ pipe, and steel blue) were collected from locations near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The shape, weight, moisture content, organic content, and specific gravity of the nests …