sustainable building: earth 1

Sustainable Building:EARTH Part 1

Aloha Ranch and Organic FarmAn Eco Village Half way to the Underground River

Aloha HouseAn Orphanage on an Organic Farm

Aloha KitchenArtisan Farmstead Cheeses, Salsas, Jams and more

2 hectares5 acres13 rai

31 dou

7 hectares17 acres

43 rai108 dou

Earth as a building material comes in a thousand different compositions, and can be variously processed. Loam, or clayey soil, as it is referred to scientifically, has different names when used in various applications, for instance rammed earth, soil blocks, mud bricks or adobe.

Mushroom Culture House

Bench

EH 3

The Nebraska House

Tool shed

Retaining walls

EH 2

Charcoal kilns

EH 1

Cow shed

Macarascas, PalawanSoil Audit: 40% clay

clay

silt

sand

In late 2013, the International Code Council (ICC) approved two new appendixes: one for straw bale construction (Appendix S) and one for light straw-clay construction (Appendix R). These appendixes are included in the 2015 Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings.

http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015%20IRC%20HTML/Appendix%20S.html

Aloha Ranch

Loam has three disadvantages when compared to common industrialized building materials:

1. Loam is not a standardized building material

2. Loam mixtures shrink when drying

3. Loam is not water-resistant

Loam has many advantages in comparison to common industrial building materials:

1. Loam balances air humidity

2. Loam stores heat (or cold)

3. Loam saves energy and reduces environ- mental pollution

4. Loam is always reusable

5. Loam saves material and transportation costs

6. Loam is ideal for do-it-yourself construction

7. Loam preserves timber and other organic materials

8. Loam absorbs pollutants

Neil and Su have so many projects going on right now. Neil calls it "project creep," where you start something small and end up with something unmanageable. They bought their house a few years ago and are doing massive renovations.

Kyle Holzhueter

Rammed earthen floorEH 3

Rammed earthen floorEH 3

TroweledOiled Waxed

Choosing the right steel for you depends on your purpose：Jigane is unfired forged iron. Whereas a hard carbon steel tends to slide over a plaster, "soft" jigane iron will push and pull material, making it excellent at distributing plaster on wall. By "soft", we refer to the quality of the steel, not the flexibility of the trowel. Because Jigane is a soft steel, Jigane trowels tend to be thick, stiff and heavy. Jigane is suitable for scratch and brown coats of earthen or lime plaster.

Hanyaki is fired once after forging. Hanyaki is suitable for all coats, and can also be used for cement based plasters as well.

Abarayaki is steel that is forged, coated with oil, and then fired twice. It is harder than hanyaki and suitable for compressing plaster for a glossy finish.

Honyaki is made in a similar fashion to abarayaki, but is fired at a higher temperature. Being a very hard carbon steel, it is suitable for earthen or lime finish coats and cement based plasters.

Stainless steel is the hardest steel but can be produced so thin as to be flexible as well. It is used to apply thin coats and to smooth trowels marks.

Gernot Minke

Building with EarthDesign and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture

https://ia700503.us.archive.org/11/items/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth.pdf

Gernot Minke


Earth TermsLoam as it is referred to scientifically, (clayey soil) has different names when used in various applications, for instance rammed earth, soil blocks, mud bricks or adobe.

Macarascas, PalawanSoil Audit: 40% clay

clay

silt

sand

Earth Terms

AdobeBlocks of earth (loam)

produced manually by throwing wet earth into a formwork are called adobes or mud bricks or sun- dried earth blocks. Also can be used to plaster or Wattle and daub

Thai earthen homes

Cob: Chopped straw and earth

“The word cob comes from an old English root meaning a lump or rounded mass. Cob building uses hands and feet to form lumps of earth mixed with sand and straw.”

Wattle and daub

Earth Terms

Soil Blocks are compressed

unbaked bricks

Gernot Minke


https://ia700503.us.archive.org/11/items/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth.pdf

Earth Terms

Stabilized Soil Blocks

are compressed unbaked bricks

w/ Portland etc.

Soil blocks

Compressed stabilized soil blocksSand, Portland and limestone

Earth Terms

Stabilized Rammed Soil Blocks

are compressed unbaked bricks that use a stabilizer (hydrated lime, Portland etc.)

Rammed Earth in the UK

Pneumatic Compaction

Rammed Earth

S.I.R.E. Stabilized Insulated Rammed Earth

Earth Terms

Stabilized Rammed Earth Wallsare compressed walls that use loam

and a stabilizer (hydrated lime, Portland etc.)

The French call rammed earth construction

pisé de terre.

High labor costsMultiple handling of materialsHigh material costsTrucked into site from quarryHigh embedded energyCarbon intensive productionHigh heat gainHigh U value

Rammed Earth Vs. Hollow block

Lower labor costsEfficient use of materialsLower material costsLocal materials, on siteLow embedded energyStores more carbon than producedNo solar gainHigh R value

High labor costsMultiple handling of materialsFoot mixingMaterial is blended manuallyAdvanced lead timeBricks must be cured and load bearingAdditional grout required for building

Rammed Earth Vs. Adobe Brick

Lower labor costsEfficient use of materialsSingle handlingMixer is usedNo lead time for curingForms are moved immediatelyStronger/longer lastingMonolithic pour

The laundry list of volatile chemicals used in tires is alarming: · Benzene inhalation causes cancer· Toluene inhalation causes cognitive disfunction· Arsenic inhalation causes organ failure· Acetone inhalation causes irritation of the throat and lung

plus heavy metals that include· Nickel inhalation causes sinusitis and cancer· Copper inhalation causes nausea and suppressed liver function· Cadmium inhalation causes kidney disease and an increased frequency of kidney stone formation

Organic compounds in tires break down more quickly than the vulcanized rubber. Criteria which determine breakdown rate include: heating, friction (from movement), water trapping and freezing, and evaporation of plasticizers.

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/IntheWorkplace/benzene

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toluene_toxicity

http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/data_tables/Arsenic_ChemicalInformation.html

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/67-64.html

http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/toxic_contaminants/html/Nickel.htm

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGdWVaEFFP5zgALxJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1NW9kdnE4BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA1NNRTA5Nl8yNjk-/SIG=125pbde39/EXP=1330741466/**http:/www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp132-c2.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/cadmium.html

STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH

A lightweight husk loam for Rural HousingWith a high Insulative rating for tropical conditions

Aloha Ranch

Earth Terms Rammed Earth walls - compacted within a formwork

1 Binder

2 clay soil

3 Ricehull

5-10 liters water

Australia has the potential to produce over a million tons of rice annually, and our rice farmers have shown themselves to be very efficient in its cultivation, using 50 per cent less water for the crop than the global average. Rice needs to be hulled to remove the outer husk from the eatable inner grain. The waste generated in the process is significant - it has been calculated that in excess of 100,000,000 metric tons of rice hulls are created globally.

These little shells, which make up approximately 20 per cent of the weight of harvested rice, have shown themselves to have rather remarkable properties. They are considered to be naturally flame retardant, requiring no chemical additives to provide their self extinguishing characteristics, partly due to their high silica content. They resist the growth of fungi and mould. In the USA, rice husks have been classified as Class A insulation material for their high thermal resistance value.

Binder - termite barrier10 liters CRH/RHA10 liters agri lime stone20 liters Portland cement

Excavated on site clay soilLocal Rice hull

Carbonized Rice hull

/ASH

Stabilized Rammed Earth wall materials

Light weight loam<600 kg/m3

Hybrid Earthen HomesSoil Audit: 40% clay

EH 3

clay

silt

sand

Excavated clay soilLocal Rice hull

Light weight loam<600 kg/m3

RHA:Rice Hull

ASH

Spanish barro apisonado or tapial

German Stampflehmbau

French terre pisé

Rammed Earth

Moist soil is poured into formwork in layers up to 15 cm thick and then compacted by ramming

Loam is a mixture of clay, silt and sand, and sometimes contains larger aggregates like gravel and stones.

A solid wall of rammed earth without straw or other light aggregates has nearly the same insulating effect as a solid wall of baked bricks.

A solid wall of rammed earth without straw or other light aggregates has nearly the same insulating effect as a solid wall of baked bricks.

The lighter the material, the higher its thermal insulation.

The greater its humidity level, the lower its insulating effect.

In comparison with wet loam techniques (see chapter 9), the shrinkage ratio of rammed earth is much lower, and strength much higher.

In comparison with adobe masonry (see chapter 6), rammed earth – since it is monolithic – provides the advantage of longer life.

Earth, when used as a building material, is often given different names. Referred to in scientific terms as loam, it is a mixture of clay, silt (very fine sand), sand, and occasionally larger aggregates such as gravel or stones.

When speaking of handmade unbaked bricks, the terms ”mud bricks” or “adobes” are usually employed for earth; when speaking of compressed unbaked bricks, the term ”soil blocks” is used. When compacted within a formwork, it is called ”rammed earth”.

Rammed cow shed with ends protected by wood

Is this wall Finished?How?

Rammed earth?Is this wall Structural?

Stabilized Rammed Earth

Mixing stabilized lightweight loam

Rammed stabilized lightweight loam wall

Rammed Earth

Next Hybrid Earthen Home Building Course January 2015 Aloha Ranch

Earthquake and typhoon resistant Homes

Rammed Earth

Hybrid Earthen Home Building Course November 2014 Aloha Ranch

Rammed Earth


STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH

A lightweight husk loam for Aloha Ranch

High R value insulation[Low U value]

R value measures thermal resistance

Stabilized lightweight loam


Bench

EH 3

The Nebraska House

Tool shed

Retaining walls

EH 2

Charcoal kilns

EH 1

In late 2013, the International Code Council (ICC) approved two new appendixes: one for straw bale construction (Appendix S) and one for light straw-clay construction (Appendix R). These appendixes are included in the 2015 Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings.

http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015%20IRC%20HTML/Appendix%20S.html

Mixing stabilized lightweight loam

Rammed stabilized lightweight loam wall

Wattle and daub

The anxiety that mice or insects might live in earth

walls is unfounded when these are solid. Insects can

survive only provided there are gaps, as in “wattle-and-

daub” walls. In South America, the Chagas disease,

which leads to blindness, comes from insects that

live in wattle-and-daub walls. Gaps can be avoided

by constructing walls of rammed earth or mud

bricks with totally filled mud mortar joints.

Moreover, if the earth contains too many organic

additives, as in the case of lightweight straw clay, with

a density of less than 600 kg/m3, small insects such as

wood lice can live in the straw and attack it. Common

perceptions that loam surfaces are difficult to clean

(especially in kitchens and bathrooms) can be dealt

with by painting them with casein/lime, linseed oil or

other coatings, which makes them non- abrasive. As

explained on p. 132, bathrooms with earth walls are

more hygienic than those with glazed tiles, since earth

absorbs high humidity quickly, thereby inhibiting fungus

growth.

Gernot Minke Building with EarthPg 16

The anxiety that mice or insects might live in earth walls

is unfounded when these are solid. Insects can survive

only provided there are gaps, as in “wattle-and-daub”

walls. In South America, the Chagas disease, which

leads to blindness, comes from insects that live in

wattle-and-daub walls. Gaps can be avoided by

constructing walls of rammed earth or mud bricks

with totally filled mud mortar joints.

Gernot Minke Building with EarthPg 16

Martin Shkreli, the hedge-fund manager who became notorious for buying the rights to critical anti-parasite drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS patients and then jacking up the price by 5000% (from $13.50 to $750!) has found himself himself arrested by federal authorities for securities fraud. He recently acquired KaloBios Pharmaceuticals and is planning to raise the price of courses of benznidazole, used to treat a disease in Latin America known as “Chagas,” from $100 to $100,000

Sicsican mud house

Marcus SwanepoleWattle and daub

Sicsican mud house

Wattle and daub

Evaluating Earthen Structures

Wattle and daub

Score card Material sources Plinth height Structural support Wall thickness Material Finish Roof overhang Roof slope

Stacked shuttering

U-shaped wall in greenhouse Stabilized Rammed Earth walls

Hybrid Earthen Homes

U-shaped wall in greenhouseRing beam next

U-shaped wall in greenhouse

Formwork slides up forSecond layer on First layer

7m

5.2m

2.4m

2.7m

h = (√3)s 4.6m

d = 2s 5.2m

a = (1.5√3)s² 19m2

206 sq ft.p = 6s

Similarly,

s = h/(√3)

d = 2h/(√3)

19m2


Master pattern

6 Columns

1 meter floor extention

20cm

86 cm


Master pattern

Column detailColumn strap detail

30cm

3 strapsBelow floor

Dowels connectBelow floor


Marking footings


One man bagging with tubular bag holder

Two men bagging with human bag holder


Ready for footings


Holes 80cm x 80cm x 25cm

steel 80cm x 80cm x 10mm


Digging footings Bagging excavated loam

for rammed earth wall

One man bagging with tubular bag holder

Plinth

Footing

Column

Flooring 25cmdeep

80cm

40cm

30cm


Foundation detail

EH 1


Footing pad, dowels and column ready

Footing hole 80cm x 80cm x 25cm

8mm 70cm x 70cm steel bar


Footing pad poured and plinth next, column ready

Plinth w/concrete, steel and rock infill


Column form detail

20cm

30cm

Steel strap Wood form with key

30cm

40cm

2”x4” key

Finished columnReady for ramming


Column form detailWood form with key

2”x4” dovetail key

Wing nut


Column form detail

Column and rammed wall locked with key

First layer on plinth


Slotted angle bar guides

Column key


Slotted angle bar guides

Column key


Slotted angle bar guidesFormwork slides up forSecond layer on First layer

Formwork slides up forSecond layer on First layer


Improved formworkw/backsplash

Stacked shuttering

Movable Plywood form


Must roof after final ram


Rainy season may require temporary roof


The Miller Bench

Hybrid Earthen Homeand

Aquaponic Greenhouse


WindowMold

Jalousiewindow

Lentil / tie beam considerations


WindowMold



WindowMold

Removed



Sitting window


1/2 height 14cm thick wall6 mixers rammed lightweight loam


Finishing OptionsRaw

PlasterClays

Binders

Interior wall

1 lime3 fine sand½ clay

Stay within a pallet range you like


PlasterClays

Binders


PlasterClays

Binders

Raw poured earth


PlasterClays

Binders


PlasterClays

Binders

AlbuminateFinishing Options

RawPlasterClays

Binders

Sustainable Building:EARTH


Breathable Plaster Primer1 part whey and 1 part hydrated lime

Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutes then add 2 parts water

Lime, together with casein, forms a chemical waterproofing agent called calcium ALBUMINATE.


Plaster Preparation

Whey, hydraulic lime and sand The

lime has to be first intensively mixed into

the whey to form a creamy paste without

adding any water. After allowing the mix

to rest for a while, water and sand should

be added.

For a thinner plaster that can be brushed

on, with the proportion 1:6:25

In warm climates, some kitchen salt

should be added to keep the lime plaster

moist for a longer period, which improves

curing.

Water Proof Breathable Colored Plaster1 part whey to 1 part hydrated lime

Machine Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutesthen add 1 part clay for color, 3 parts sand for texture and 4 parts hydrated lime

Machine MixSet drill press to Lowest speed with 5 ½ ” boat prop1 part whey to 1 part hydrated limeMachine Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutes


Water Proof Breathable Colored Plaster1 part whey to 1 part hydrated lime

Machine Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutesthen add 1 part clay for color, 3 parts sand for texture and 4 parts hydrated lime

Full height 14cm thick wall

12 mixers rammed lightweight loam

Whey/ lime primer

½ height 14cm thick wall

6 mixers rammed lightweight loam

Whey/ lime clay and sand finish

Coat 1

Building 1

Building 1

Round columns

Building 1Hybrid

Earthen Homes

Aloha Ranch

ALOHA RANCHand

ORGANIC FARMMacarascas

sustainable building: earth 1

Engineering