I have to laugh when people keep asking me if earthbag building is strong. Earthbags (sand bags) have centuries of use by militaries worldwide, because they’re bomb, blast and bullet resistant. Millions of sand bags are used each year for flood control to stop raging rivers. As well, earthbag building is earthquake and hurricane resistant.
earthbag house
IDV: Developing Permanent Shelter Solutions for Nepal
“The Nepal earthquakes destroyed almost 605,000 homes, and damaged 288,856 more. While there is an urgent, ongoing need to provide immediate shelter in Nepal this solution is still a temporary one.
The Biowander Project
Campaign to crowdfund global, sustainable Field Research Stations. Wander the biomes and explore the magic of planet earth. Sustainability education, sustainable laboratories for science, fun nature and adventure tours for the family, elegant eco-friendly accommodation, tranquil relaxation.
EARTHBAG PUNISH: Main House & Master Suite – Phase III
This is one of the largest earthbag projects in the world: “This video shows us building our main house (14m2 x 14m2, approximately 1700 sq. ft) and our master suite which is comprised of 4 domes each about 5m2; a bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet and private sitting room.
Advantages Galore to Earthbag Building
I’ve had the pleasure to meet and train several hundred builders, architects and engineers in earthbag building techniques in Nepal. Even though I’ve been researching, working with and promoting earthbag building heavily since the Asian 2004 tsunami, it still amazes me how practical and efficient it is to build with earthbags. Here’s just a brief list of advantages that many people are not aware of.
Buttressed Earthbag Corners With Rope Ties
Patti Stouter of Build Simple.org has another great idea for reinforcing earthbag walls at low cost in earthquake zones. For context, please see the blog post from last week called Low Cost Village Housing for Nepal and note how the corner is built.