Rammed Earth FAQs - Rammed Earth Home Designers and Builders (2024)

FAQs

What are the problems with rammed earth? ›

Rammed earth is made from natural materials – sand, clay, silt, and gravel. Although the materials are highly durable and strong, they are not waterproof and, as a result, become weak if exposed to water for a long time. This can cause structural damage to your rammed earth wall.

General maintenance of rammed earth structures should be expected, especially on structures without Plasticure. Earth Binder and Stabilised Earth Water Repellent should be reapplied to external walls every 3-5 years depending on weathering and climatic conditions.

A Rammed earth house can easily sustain its integrity for 1000+ years. Primary factors affecting the cost of any project are design and site characteristics.

Moisture is one of the main factors that can affect the durability and quality of rammed earth walls. Moisture can cause erosion, cracking, swelling, shrinking, mold growth, and salt efflorescence on the surface of the walls.

A: Rammed earth is suitable to use in any state. Since it is a durable material it can handle many types of climates from hot and arid to cold and humid.

Rammed earth structures are safe. The sustainable material can be classified as a non-combustible material as it contains no flammable components, hence it is fire resistant. Moreover, rammed earth is, by nature, breathable. Regarding pests, rammed earth is highly resistant to termites and other pests.

Stabilised rammed earth is a variant of traditional rammed earth that adds a small amount of cement (typically 5–10%) to increase strength and durability. Stabilised rammed earth walls need little added protection but are usually coated with an air-permeable sealer to increase the life of the material.

Earthshield is suitable for all types of earth structures including mud brick, pressed mud brick, strawbale, cement-stabilised earth and rammed earth structures. It is best used for exterior walls or rendered earth structures, but can also be useful for interior walls in wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

Tech-Dry produce PLASTICURE, an admixture designed to be added to the rammed earth mix during construction. This will make the entire rammed earth structure water repellent, including the surface.

6. Low maintenance. Rammed earth walls are generally low maintenance, and once built and sealed, they can take 10 to 20 years before needing further attention.

Are rammed earth walls bulletproof? ›

Will rammed earth walls crumble over time? Definitely not, rammed earth walls have proven to be bulletproof in fact ancient civilizations used them as a defense from enemy attacks.

The Cost of a Rammed Earth House

The process is labor-intensive and can inflate final costs if materials are sourced far from the site. That partly drives its high costs. The average cost of a rammed earth wall per m2 ranges from $450-$750.

The R-value represents the thermal resistance of a material, while the U-value signifies the rate of heat transfer. Rammed earth's R-value typically ranges from 0.2 to 0.6 per inch, showcasing its natural insulation properties.

Rammed earth walls gain strength through compression and compaction during the construction process. While concrete is known for its tensile strength, rammed earth's compression strength can be comparable or even superior, depending on factors such as the mix design, compaction technique, and soil properties used.

The research results demonstrate that a rammed-earth wall significantly reduces the influence of outdoor temperature fluctuation on the indoor thermal environment, with good humidity regulating performance.

In conclusion, rammed earth is a unique and highly sustainable building material that benefits homeowners, builders, and architects. It is made from locally sourced, natural materials, making it environmentally friendly. It has a high thermal mass, allowing it to absorb and store heat, resulting in energy savings.

Rammed earth walls gain strength through compression and compaction during the construction process. While concrete is known for its tensile strength, rammed earth's compression strength can be comparable or even superior, depending on factors such as the mix design, compaction technique, and soil properties used.

Earth is available in abundance, it is everywhere locally available and cheap [8]. However, some of the drawbacks are the loss of strength due to saturation, its sensitivity to erosion by rain impact and, more generally, its durability [9].

The erosion of rammed earth walls is not something to be avoided but to be appreciated in advance in the design process.