Rochester Green Living

 

Wikipedia Definition of Rammed Earth

 Ramming earth to create walls is at least as old as the Great Wall of China. It is really quite similar to adobe and cob techniques, in that the soil is mostly clay and sand. The difference is that the material is compressed or tamped into place, usually with forms that create very flat vertical surfaces. Modern rammed earth typically utilizes heavy mechanized equipment to move and compress the material . The walls are normally at least a foot thick to give enough bulk to be stable and provide the thermal mass for comfort. It is best to apply insulating material to the outside of the building to keep the interior temperature constant. The interior surface can be finished in a variety of ways, from natural oil to more standard surfaces. Rammed earth houses tend to have a very solid, quiet feeling inside. Definition source: www.greenhomebuilding.com

YouTube Videos on Rammed Earth:

Earth Building: for Free - Very short but informative how-to (worth watching).

 

Cool Sites to check out:

 http://rammedearth.com/ - A well made site that has an impressive building portfolio including residential homes, villages and retreats. Like most rammed earth structures/companies this is located in Arizona.

http://www.diyrammedearth.com/ - A cool site with great pics, resources and links.

http://www.rammedearthworks.com/ - A great building company with an impressive portfolio, this is great to see if you think a house made of dirt can't look good!

Rammed Earth Homes from around the world.