Why earthbag building is one of the best building methods.
Sometimes we delve into esoteric aspects of earthbag building. For those new to building with bags, here is a summary of advantages.
• Low cost (if you build simply and do most of the work yourself)
• Durable (rammed earth structures such as earthbag can last for centuries)
• Owner-builder friendly (easy to learn and few tools required)
• Environmentally friendly (uses primarily local, natural materials)
• Comfortable (cool in summer, warm in winter, quiet)
• Excellent insulation (when filled with an insulating material such as crushed volcanic rock)
• Excellent thermal mass (when filled with tamped soil or gravel and/or thick plaster on the interior)
• Strong (almost 10 times compressive strength as conventional stud-frame housing; test results in California exceeded ICBO requirements)
• Disaster resistant: floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fire, bullets
• Insect and rodent resistant, safe, mold-free and will not rot
• Proven technology (over a century of military use, plus many hundreds if not thousands of modern examples)
• Highly adaptable (ideal for curved organic-shaped walls, domes, roundhouses, small vaults, straight walls, underground or above grade, earth-bermed, privacy and retaining walls, furniture)