I’ve been scouring the Internet looking at photos and videos of concrete rubble in Haiti. As you probably know, much of the concrete there was reduced to rubble in the earthquake (largely due to poor quality construction). But what is less apparent is a great deal of the concrete was pulverized. There is a tremendous … Read more
Louis Burns, a writer and former real estate agent, toured a newly completed Eco-dome in Austin and wrote an eye-opening assessment. Here are a few quotes from the article. “The plans from Cal-Earth that they’re working from are designed for the desert climate. There, you have a significant temperature drop in the evenings which allow … Read more
Here’s a breaking news update from Brazil. We owe a big thanks to Paula, one of our readers who tracked down these details, and to Andre Ferreira and Fernando Pacheco, who are building with hyperadobe in Brazil for this latest update. Andre Ferreira said that he has already built a rounded house using hyperadobe but … Read more
What building materials do the rich typically use to build their homes? And likewise, what materials would you choose if you had nearly unlimited financial resources? Wood paneling or sheet rock? Granite and marble counters or plastic laminate? Wood, tile and stone floors or vinyl? Berber wool rugs or synthetic? Wood shakes, tile, slate and … Read more
My focus has always been on low cost, low tech housing solutions. But people are starting to plan large earthbag projects, and it’s only natural to look for ways to reduce costs and labor. One option is to modify the pneumatic tampers used for rammed earth by adding a wider base. It would take some … Read more
Today’s post showcases erosion control booms — another possible material for earthbag building. This is a new development that looks promising. It gives builders one more material and one more supplier to choose from. And in this case, the UV resistance may be greater than standard poly bags. Syfilco, the company who sells them, contacted … Read more