Here’s a quick update on our latest workshop with participants from the Philippines who are planning an eco-resort. It was a great workshop and a great group. We built two demonstration structures: a square corner and a partial dome. In addition to practicing each step of construction, this schedule gave us ample time for whiteboard … Read more
There’s growing interest in lightweight bag fill materials as alternatives to more labor intensive soil-filled earthbags. While lightweight materials such as scoria, perlite, etc. are not as stable as tamped earth, their higher insulation value and labor saving advantages offer tantalizing possibilities for certain designs, locales and site conditions. We’re currently investigating vetiver grass as … Read more
For those who don’t know, earthbag structures are constructed with bags of moist soil or other suitable materials, stacked in courses like masonry and then tamped solid. As they dry, they turn into incredibly strong walls. Although very popular for a number of compelling reasons, this building method has struggled to reach its full potential … Read more
The following text and list of properties has been gathered from various poly bag supplier websites to give you a snapshot view of poly earthbags. The information is presented here in a condensed format for brevity. It’s fun doing these blog posts because I always learn something. For instance, did you know polypropylene is 100% … Read more
I came across a report titled Earth Building: Models, Technical Aspects, Tests and Environmental Evaluation by Sargentis, Kapsalis and Symeonidis. The report was presented at the 11th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology in September, 2009 in Greece. The report has a number of fascinating insights. The team designed and analyzed a model earthbag … Read more
This article describes a low cost method of building insulated basement walls without concrete, using geotextiles. Typical basement walls are expensive and use large amounts of concrete, a major contributor to global climate change. Concrete basement walls are typically built by contractors, because they require expensive forms and specialized knowledge. Plus, in cold climates they … Read more