Vaults

United Earth Builders

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“I would like to announce the United Earth Builders 10 day intensive workshop beginning in April! Located in Joshua Tree we will be teaching attendees how to build a standard 8′ earthbag dome and a retaining wall. Participants in this workshop will be led through a series of intellectual, cognitive, and physical exercises that seek … Read more

Doctor DirtBag’s Earthworks

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Here is the latest installment of a series of videos that Doctor Dirtbag has uploaded to his YouTube Channel. You can find the other equally informative videos on his channel. This is what he says about it: “West wall is done, but I’m waiting for the weather to warm up so I can plaster it. … Read more

Flying Concrete Ferrocement Houses

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Ferrocement is resource efficient because it uses minimal rebar and concrete to produce ‘thin shell’ structures. The resulting curved members are somewhat similar to trees and plants. This is the opposite of straight concrete walls that rely on massive thickness to gain strength (and cost way more money). One of the best sites for learning … Read more

The Sustainable Urban Dwelling Unit: Timbrel Vaults

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Timbrel vaults offer another low cost, sustainable roof building method. This method is suitable for do-it-yourself owner builders if you do the research. Suggestions include: use a simple design with a reinforced concrete bond beam and modest spans. Look into using low-fired, lightweight brick like the type used in Mexico and SE Asia. “The ‘Sustainable … Read more

Nubian Vaults in Africa

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The Nubian vault is an African technique for the construction of timberless vaulted roofs. The AVN (Association la Voute Nubienne), through its Program ’Earth roofs in the Sahel’, helps provide families in sub-Saharan Africa with comfortable, sustainable, affordable, homes. In a recent Newsletter from this organization, I was impressed by the statistics they provided regarding … Read more