We have been working hard the last days. Earthbag building is anything far from easy. But it is an incredible learning experience. Our teacher told us yesterday: “Problems make you learn! When something is easy, you just go to bed very satisfied, no problem. But when the problems occur you really need to find a solution. So you start searching, go to the internet, ask experts. After that you know a lot more, which you would not know, if the problem did not occur. Problems make you more knowledgeable.”
sustainable
Proctor Soil Compaction Test
“The Standard Proctor Test is a laboratory test used to determine the optimum water for a given compaction energy, for a given soil. The graph illustrates the results obtained from a Standard Proctor test.
The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally determining the optimal moisture content at which a given soil type will become most dense and achieve its maximum dry density. (Compaction is the process by which the bulk density of an aggregate of matter is increased by driving out air.) The term Proctor is in honor of R. R. Proctor, who in 1933 showed that the dry density of a soil for a given compactive effort depends on the amount of water the soil contains during soil compaction.
Desert Cisterns
An adequate freshwater supply is a basic necessity. Obtaining water can be especially challenging in deserts. The following photos illustrate a few simple methods for capturing and storing water in arid regions.
First Straw Bale House in New Zealand
This home is really nice. Contact Ecobob if you’re looking to buy a straw bale house in New Zealand. Source: Ecobob
David W. Allan’s Solar Home
“Located in the cooler central Utah climate at 6,000 foot elevation, the Allan’s solar home integrates at least ten different forms of solar, including: trombe wall, solarium convection, photovoltaic cells, propylene-glycol heat exchange, eutectic salt chamber, berm insulation, black chimneys and under-ground intake for passive solar air conditioning, and dehydration of food.”