More book reviews: “I have built with earthbags for over twenty years, having helped develop the concept with Nader Khalili in the early 1990’s. Of all the texts on earthbag building that exist (including mine), I have to say that Owen Geiger’s Earthbag Building Guide is by far the most thorough, detailed and technically useful … Read more
Earthbag Building Guide: Vertical Walls Step-by-Step By Owen Geiger Much has been learned about earthbag building over the last few decades through research, trial and error, and sharing of information. It is becoming increasingly clear what works best and why. And now with engineer-approved methods for building in code-enforced areas, it is time to pull … Read more
With the help of Patti Stouter, I have revised the index page for available test data and reports at www.earthbagbuilding.com. Instead of just links to half a dozen existing test reports that are specific to earthbags, there are now references and links to over three dozen such reports, many of which relate to other types … Read more
This post by Patti Stouter is part of a larger effort to summarize existing test results and hopefully organize and conduct more earthbag tests. “During 2010 and 2011 engineering tests of earthbag increased. Universities involved in evaluating earthbag structures have ranged from Ghent, Belgium, to Cape Town South Africa to Stanford and Brown Universities. Test … Read more
What’s the most effective way to provide bullet resistance for your home? Here’s a field trial test of Joel Skousen’s gravel wall system. Compare the bullet resistance of this system to: Sand bags Compressed earth Impact testing compressed earth by black powder cannon
Here’s the latest from Patti. “People building with trash have relied on bottles filled with sand or adobe or film plastics to provide strength in infill walls. They have needed either cement mortar or chicken wire to hold the walls together. Some good info on previous projects is at: http://inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bottle-schools.html#jfafa3e6aa Because of the strength of … Read more