Sometimes incremental changes are the most effective. People are naturally resistant to major changes, but they’ll more readily grasp and utilize small changes. That’s the thinking behind this confined masonry/earthbag system. Confined masonry is one of the most common building systems in the world, with millions of structures built this way. Confined masonry construction consists … Read more
Polypropylene bags are susceptible to UV damage if left exposed to sunlight for more than a few weeks. High intensity sunlight in deserts and at high altitudes is a particular concern. Builders typically use tarps to protect earthbag walls during construction to minimize UV damage and maintain the strength of the bags. But tarps have … Read more
Djiboutian Red Crescent Society (DRCS) volunteers learned how to build an earthbag structure, during a two-day training seminar held by DRCS, October 28, 2010. The training took place on October 28 and 29 in partnership with a team from the U.S. Army 418th Civil Affairs Battalion. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Erickson, a graduate of … Read more
The video and text below is from the Eco Preservation Society. They say they know of a bamboo preservation technique that lasts 300 years in the tropics if kept covered. Please visit their site for more information, and if you learn the details of their bamboo preservation method, please share with us. The Eco Preservation … Read more
Greenhouses are very popular for extending the growing season, but heating them in cold climates is expensive. In contrast, pit greenhouses — greenhouses built into the earth — use free solar energy from the sun for heating. The temperature of the earth (usually around 55-58 degrees Fahrenheit) helps stabilize the temperature in the greenhouse. One … Read more
A new article by Arvid Linde in Green Home Design compares typical earth-sheltered homes with structures made of earthbags. Linde raises a number of interesting points. I agree with his assessment that most earth-sheltered designs contain a lot of high embodied energy materials, notably concrete and steel, and therefore are not as ‘green’ as they … Read more