I’ve been corresponding with Richard Laurens who is developing a geodesic dome design that rests on earthbags and is covered in earthbags. His original plan was to use rammed tires to support the domes, but now he’s convinced earthbags are more practical. I’m encouraging him to use scoria-filled bags since he plans to build his … Read more
Wrapping walls in mesh – starting under the first course of bags and going over the top of the bond beam – is a simple way to add a great deal of extra strength to your earthbag structure. Fishing net and plastic lath are ideal for wet climates. Galvanized wire lath or chicken wire is … Read more
It’s not difficult estimating costs for small houses. Simply add up the number of each main component and multiply times a realistic cost. Then add about 5%-10% extra to cover unforeseen expenses. Use current, local prices for most accurate results. Here’s one article that explains how to estimate the number of bags you’ll need. You … Read more
I got a fortuitous email from the sales manager of a large factory in China that manufactures polypropylene bags wanting my business. During the course of our email exchanges I was able to find out what they can offer by way of bags, costs and transportation. The China Forest Packaging Group in Qingdao, China can … Read more
My previous post described an alternative bond beam for curved walls; this post is on straight walls. Conventional reinforced concrete bond beams may not be affordable or the materials unavailable. Or maybe you want to reduce or avoid using cement. Here’s one low-tech, low-cost bond beam design. It’s even possible to use salvaged materials for … Read more
Forming bond beams for roundhouses and other curved structures is somewhat difficult. Here’s a brief description of an alternative bond beam that requires little or no formwork. It’s made with two layers of long poly tubes filled with stabilized soil (non-seismic zones) or concrete (seismic zones). Tubes could be filled 3″-4″ thick to save on … Read more