The folks at Good Earth Global prepared a guide titled How to Build an Earthquake-Resistant Home: An Earthbag Construction Manual for Engineering for Change’s members and readers and it was published at engineeringforchange.org
It starts out with this introduction:
Earthbag technology has emerged as the building method best suited to rebuild rural Nepal after its devastating 2015 earthquake. All of Nepal’s 55 Earthbag structures survived a 7.8 magnitude earthquake with no structural damage, and village builders and professional engineers alike now embrace the technique. Nepali families live in Earthbag homes, and each morning send their children to safe Earthbag schools. In short, Earthbag building in Nepal is now tried, tested, and proven.
There is, however, a right way and a wrong way to build with Earthbags in Nepal. This building manual is designed to show builders the right way to build with Earthbags, using best practices and time-tested engineering and construction techniques. Critically, all instructions are specially tailored to Nepal’s uniquely challenging building environment.
Following these instruction will allow capable Earthbag builders to erect strong, reliable and cost-effective Earthbag structures, and help the Nepali people rebuild their country safely and sustainably.
Owen Geiger was directly involved with Good Earth Global and the instruction of builders and engineers in Nepal. Without his presence and guidance, I am sure that this would never have happened.
Greetings,
I found my old friend Owen Geiger through an internet search that has brought me here. I was saddened to discover his early passing. We became friends in Nebraska in 1975 and he was best man at my wedding in 1976. The last time I saw him we met for lunch in Pueblo Colorado in 2000 and he had a cabinet making business. Since then he became a leading expert in earth bag homes. Far out. I have a couple of old pictures of us from back then.
You may have found Owen’s memorial site, https://www.forevermissed.com/owen-geiger/about , where you can post any stories or photos you might want to contribute. Owen was a dear friend of mine as well, and he stayed at my earthbag house in Crestone, CO, which is where he found out about earthbag building. We became associates, founding together this blog, as well as http://www.earthbagbuilding.com and he contributed many home plans to http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com
Kelly,
Is Good Earth Global still active? Information on their website hasn’t been updated since 2020 and their e-mail bounces.
I wrote to Kateryna Zemskova of Good Earth Global, and this is how she responded:
Yes we are still around! It’s true that we did not focus on updating our website lately, but we will do it soon.
We had pretty slow years during pandemics and now we are getting back to action.
The emails should not be bouncing…