EA RT HBA G

BUILDING BA SICS
EA RT HBA G INFO PA RT 2
Patti Stouter (www.BuildSimple.org)
November 2012
with friends of www.EarthbagBuilding.com
EA RT HBA G BUILDING BA SICS
EA RT HBA G INFO PA RT 2
This file only introduces the concepts of building with
flexible form rammed earth or earthbag.
See the other parts of the Earthbag info series
available online to learn about earthbag construction.
Example projects around the world are featured at:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/projects/projects.htm
and at: http://calearth.org/galleries/index.html
Free online booklets give more details. See Free online booklets give more details. See
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm
Strong buildings require care and advice. Before
building, purchase a book or video, take a course, and/
or seek advice from experienced builders and/ or
architects or engineers. Check at www.BuildSimple.org
for recent advances in reinforcement or design
information. Books and videos available at:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/resources.htm
This work by Patti Stouter is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
PRE PA RE
Soil
Plans
Supplies
3 EARTHBAG INFO 2: Earthbag Basics
Sandy clay is best
Cover with water
Shake
Leave it 1 day
1/4 (in 1/4 (in
height)or more
should be sand
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Dr op balls f r om 5 ( 1.5 m)
Good soil just damp enough
breaks in 2- 3 pieces
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Good moist soil t amps f ir m
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W eak soil or dr y soil shat t er s
Tamping does not harden bags
if the soil is dry
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Strong
corners
Braces on all
long walls
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More wall
than openings
Closed shapes
with few stub
walls
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SUPPL IE S
Poly-
propylene
bags or
tubes tubes
Barbed wire
Poly cord
Wire
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Siz e bags f or wall height
1: 15/ 38 cm
wide for a
site wall
2: 17- 18/
43- 46 cm
wide for a
building
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T ools
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1 or mor e wor ker s
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ST A RT
Footings
Base wall
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Clear and level
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Foot ings under walls and pier s
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A dd r ubble or gr avel
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W at er - r esist ant bags f ir st
Fill in place
with gravel or
stabilized earth
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Full bags f or t hick cour ses
Doubled bags
Pin closed
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T ilt down int o place
Offset ends
of bags
like bricks
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T amp t o set t le in place
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Bar bed wir e bet ween all
cour ses
Handle with care
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E A RT H W A L L S
Earthbags
Tamp
Lay wire Lay wire
Attachments
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Moist ur e bar r ier
Plastic or
tar keeps
dampness off
of earth
layers layers
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Keep checking soil mix*
Damp enough?
Well mixed?
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*Drop balls- see
slide 5
T ur n bags inside- out
Put soil in
single bags
Tuck corners
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Fill bags or t ubes in place
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Over lap ends 6- 8 / 16- 20 cm
Do not let bag
ends line up
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T amp unt il smoot h and har d
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T amp t o level
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L ay bar bed wir e
Never end wire
at corners
Overlap ends
24/ 60 cm 24/ 60 cm
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St r ongest bar bed wir e
Overlapped wire
and mesh pins
help in
hazardous areas
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T ies t hr ough t he wall
Strap down
and attach
mesh or
conduit conduit
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A nchor door f r ames
Scrap wood
nailed to bags
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FINISH
Rebar Pins
Lintels
Bond Beam Bond Beam
Plaster
Roof
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Hammer r ebar near edges
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L int els over openings
Metal, wood,
or concrete
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E ar t h walls need a bond
beam
Reinforced cement or
lap-jointed wood
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Rebar pins at t ach bond beam
Hammer in
while the
wall is
moist, each
at different
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at different
angles
A dd a r oof
Use collar-ties or
trusses so weight
doesnt push
outward
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Plast er must pr ot ect bags
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T hanks f or har d wor k and
s har ing phot os :
Slides:
1- 42(right)- Small World School,
Phuleli, Nepal
4, 15 (r.)- P. Coleman Residence,
Patagonia
9(left)- Kennedy Residence, Utah, US
13, 16, 19 (r.), 30 (r.), 42 (l.)-
R. Barber/ EMI, Free Burma
19 (l.), 21, 32- O. Geiger,
www.GRISB.org
25 J. Vallejo, Bogota, Colombia
22, 31 (r.), 34, 37- E. Bellamy,
University of Cincinnati
prototype, Kentucky, US
31 (l.), 35, 39 (r.)- M. Long, Haiti
Christian Dev. Project, Bois
Marchand, Haiti
R. Barber/ EMI, Free Burma
Rangers Clinic, Thailand
15 (l.), 29 (l.)- Cato, Chiapas
Clinic, Mexico
17, 18 (r.)- P. Dubois
18 (l.), 38 (r.), 41 (l.)- M. Gunn &
R. Lewis, Children of Hope
Orphanage, Leogane, Haiti
Marchand, Haiti
41 (r.)- Aman Setu School, Pune,
India
All other photos and graphics by
Patti Stouter
A public service of www.BuildSimple.org
Volunteers are welcome to translate this series! Please
email Patti at simple_earth@yahoo.com. Ask for an
original file and let us post a copy.
43 EARTHBAG INFO 2: Earthbag Basics