Rammed Earth: Affordable, and Relatively Unknown

Back in 2009, I wrote a piece about my discovery of construction using Rammed Earth. James White has re-visited the topic in Rammed Earth: Affordable, and Relatively Unknown.

They are comprised not of stone or brick, but of a material called rammed earth. Considering that both structures have been standing for well over 1,000 years, doesn't this process deserve a second look?

Rammed earth is created when clay-rich soil is mixed with lots of water and a natural construction stabilizer. In ancient times, stabilizers often included animal blood, urine, bitumen and even certain plant fibers.
Structures designed with rammed earth can be further reinforced and supported to optimize sustainability. For instance, various timbers can be used to offset heavy weight and offer additional stabilization. In modern day, one only need to substitute cement for those aforementioned stabilizers, and the structure is made exponentially more secure. This new mixture—referred to as cement stabilized rammed earth or CSRE for short—has the same strength ratings as cement. For reference, that means it can withstand about 6,000 psi of pressure.

Read More - See more at: http://www.greenbuildermedia.com/buildingscience#sthash.EzOXfEne.dpuf

An Adobe Styled Farmhouse Built With Rammed Earth

Back in July of 2009, I posted about "rammed earth" construction. I just came across an adobe farmhouse in Texas home built in the rammed earth technique using pulverized granite and cement. It was then decorated with touches of Mexico and the Southwest. I love the design and you can have the 3,762-square-foot house centered on a courtyard with stone, potted native plants and brick fireplace for $1.275 million.

Rammed Earth Is Stunning!

I must live a sheltered life for I've never heard of Rammed Earth Walls until reading Patricia Gray's blog. Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver BC, Canada who writes about "WHAT'S HOT" in the world of Design.

Her most recent post is about her visit to the The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort in the Okanagan Valley. There she encountered beautiful wall that looked like marble. I was reminded by the pictures of layered rock seen from the road traveling through Utah and Arizona.

Rammed earth is used to build homes and the interior walls are magical.

Rammed earth, also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a type of construction material. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth wall buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.

The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth wall is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired rammed earth wall height is achieved.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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