Adobe Windmills

Adobe windmills
Adobe windmills

“I have recently been in correspondence with an Iranian researcher, Mostafa Aref haghi, who has chronicled a tradition in Iran of building adobe windmills. At first I thought that it was virtually impossible to build a windmill using adobe. But then as I studied the material that he sent I came to realize that yes, indeed, it is possible to build a windmill using adobe!

Basically the adobe structure provides support for a vertical wood-bladed mill that can be used to grind grain or put to other use. In some cases the adobe structure can also provide a channel for directing the wind toward the mill. I have posted a PDF file with many pictures and some description of these old structures that can be seen at http://greenhomebuilding.com/pdf/adobewindmills.pdf

Source: Green Home Building.com blog

8 thoughts on “Adobe Windmills”

  1. Hello Sir.
    How to have a contact with the Iranian researcher Mostafa Aref Haghi, to have of advantage of information about mills in earth(ground)

    Jacquy CAYN
    25, allée du Petit Arcachon
    33610 CANEJAN
    FRANCE

    Reply
    • I’m not sure what you’re asking. All we’re doing is reporting on interesting stories. You’ll have to hunt down the details on your own.

      Reply
  2. The roof is probably made with brick. I believe it’s called boveda catalana (brick roof) in Spanish. Here’s one of numerous videos at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiEQBboDE7s This would require a reinforced concrete bond beam.

    Brick roofs have been covered on our blog before. I did a quick search on timbrel vaults and found two previous blog posts: https://naturalbuildingblog.siterubix.com/tag/timbrel-roof/

    You could build one windmill and one room for grinding grain, and then expand as the operation becomes profitable. That’s probably what they did.

    Note the built-in steps and thick walls that flare out at the bottom.

    Reply
    • Just when you thought you’d seen it all. Ha! Note how this is a proven concept, not just some wild idea. Improve the windmills with stronger and lighter materials, ball bearings, more efficient blade design, etc. and it should be much more practical.

      Reply

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