Earthbag build Nepal is due to start 6th February 2015! This building will provide a training facility for hundreds of rural Nepali teachers hence making a major impact on the delivery of quality education. Be part of the change and volunteer on site in February or early March.
earthbag
The Mud Home: Earthbag Foundations
“There will be many who refuse to believe this will work. What no concrete? Will be their never-ending refrain.
Concrete foundations have been around for less than a hundred years. Buildings have been built for millennia. In the eastern Mediterranean it’s common to see structures still standing over 2000 years after they were built, without a drop of concrete.
Rice Hull Mesh Earthbags
This bit of news is a nice breakthrough for rice hull earthbag building. Using a suggestion from Richard, a long time reader, I made a test bag using raschel mesh and rice hulls. I had previously ruled out using rice hulls in mesh bags, because it seemed certain that the hulls would fall through. Well, it turns out some hulls do fall through, but not many. The hulls naturally jam up against each other and only a negligible amount (say 3% or so) fall through.
Remembrance Farms Earthbag Fundraiser
“During eight weeks beginning in January 2015, we will create the first infrastructure at Remembrance Farms. We will be building a twenty foot diameter round building using an exciting technique called “super-adobe” or “earth-bag” construction. This low cost method utilizes local materials and requires only simple tools. The technique can be learned easily and the structures are durable and beautiful. A traditional vetiver thatch roof and rammed earth floor will complete the building.
New Tile Roof on our Earthbag Roundhouse
After about three years of life on our vetiver thatch roof we recently replaced the thatch with micro-concrete roofing tiles (MCR). MCR tiles and metal roofing are fast and easy to install, and both work well for roofwater harvesting. I like MCR tiles because they’re more durable and look better than most metal roofing, and don’t get as noisy in rainstorms. We cut the tiles with a right angle grinder and then covered the joints with cement. This roof should last 25 years or more. Also note, the vents on top will provide even better ventilation. (They’re screened to keep birds out.)
SuperShip Earthbag Dome Workshop in Nevada
Open Arms domes is a SuperShip (Superadobe/Earthship hybrid) residential home being constructed in central Las Vegas, Nevada (an actual IN CITY construction – very exciting).