BUILD EA RT HBA G

WA LLS BET T ER
(QUICKER/ ST RA IGHT ER):
EA RT HBA G INFO PA RT 4
Patti Stouter/ Build Simple Inc. November 2012
and friends of www.EarthbagBuilding.com
BUILD EA RT HBA G WA LLS BET T ER:
EA RT HBA G INFO PA RT 2
This file covers some techniques for better accuracy
and speed building with earthbag in NON-HAZARDOUS
AREAS.
See the other parts of the Earthbag info series
available online to learn more about earthbag
construction.
Example projects around the world are featured at:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/projects/projects.htm
and at: http://calearth.org/galleries/index.html and at: http://calearth.org/galleries/index.html
Free online booklets give more details. See
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm
Strong buildings require care and advice. Before
building, purchase a book or video, take a course, and/
or seek advice from experienced builders and/ or
architects or engineers. Check www.BuildSimple.org for
the latest news about reinforcement efficacy.
Books and videos available at:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/resources.htm
This work by Patti Stouter is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
St ake it r ight
Main string lines
outside of walls
Both diagonals
measure the same
in a 90
rectangle
3 EARTHBAG INFO 4: Build Earthbag Walls Better
The string or pole
rises up center post
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Soil piles all around the walls
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Lighten up with pumice
Use airy volcanic
gravel for
insulated bag
fill if available
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Or mix 1:1 in
soil for lighter
bags
Leave pebbles in soil
Up to
half of
volume
Up to
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Up to
1.6/ 4
cm size
Fill bucket s quickly
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L if t soil easily
Use an auger
or elevator
if no loader
is available
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E ar t h in t ubes
Need a team of 3-4
Custom lengths are
easy
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T ubes save t ime
building and plast er ing
But cant pre-tamp
edges
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Mesh t ubes ar e f ast est *
Cheaper
Easy to load chute
Stable without barbed
wire
Needs sticky soil Needs sticky soil
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*Non-hazardous areas
Bags- laid by only one
wor ker or a lar ge t eam
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Design f or f ull and 3/ 4 bags
Short bags
wreck running
bond
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Neat bags r educe plast er
wor k
Seam sticking out >
Corners stick out > Corners stick out >
Corners tucked in >
Corners tacked in >
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Half - f ill bags on soil pile
Pass up 50 lb bags
Then fill to 100 lbs
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Keep bags damp
Dry soil is weak
like sand
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Use a met al slider
Place bag, then pull
slider out
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Hold open wit h a chut e
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Rect angular chut es make
less bulgy bags
Or with no chute
roll the bag edge
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Fir m up while f illing
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Pr e- t amp edge bags
Compress and shape before pinning
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Pin neat ly wit h wir e
Roll down with
corners tucked
in
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Pin quicker wit h
nails (for clay
fill)or
industrial stapler
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Pull in place wit h st r ing
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St ar t level, f inish level
Make-up courses
waste time &
supplies
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Check wit h line or wat er level
From one central spot to far ends
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Some t amp each bag t o a guide
Stand on a concrete
block and tamp bag
to that level
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Cut wir e t o lengt h mar ks
Measure
wire along
a wall,
cut,
place place
immediately
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Keep bar bed wir e in place
Tie small sand bags or
bottles together to use
on a high wall
Tuck wire ends in or
use staples use staples
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Keep cor ner s plumb
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Keep the strong buck
at the tamping level
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Cement or brick door f rames
Termite proof
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A r ch f or ms
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Simple scaf f olds
Stand on
buttresses, re-
use door bucks
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Mor e scaf f olds
Poles through
walls, pallets
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Cast bond beams into bendable f orms
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Let tropical roof s breathe
Openings near
the roof let
hot air out
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Side tamp clay while damp
Flatter
bumps
reduce
plastering plastering
- but
leave
shallow
nooks
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Concr et e lint els unit ed wit h
bond beams ar e st r ong
Add rebar over the
door
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T hanks f or har d wor k and
s har ing phot os :
Slides:
1, 36 (upper right)- Small World School,
Phuleli, Nepal
3, 9, 29, 38- M. Long, Haiti Christian Dev.
Project, Bois Marchand, Haiti
4 (l.)- N. Decker, Residence, Thames, New
Zealand
4 (r.)- R. Wainright, Residence, New South
Wales
5, 8, 18 (l.), 19 (l.), 27 (r.), 31 (l.), 34
Free Burma Rangers Clinic, Thailand
14 (l.), Rasin Foundation Clinic, Leogane,
Haiti
14(r.), 17 (r.), 24 (l.), 36 (r.)- E. Bellamy,
University of Cincinnati prototype,
Kentucky, US
18 (r.), 25, 28, 32, 35 (r.)- Cato, Chiapas
Clinic, Mexico
19 (r.)- G. Carneiro, Residence, Minas Gerais,
Brazil
5, 8, 18 (l.), 19 (l.), 27 (r.), 31 (l.), 34
(l.)- O. Geiger, www.GRISB.org
6- Guiding Star Creations, Tepoztlan, Mexico
10 (l.)- J. Bosquet, Residence, CA, US
10 (r.), 34 (center)- Konbit Shelter, Barriere
Jeudi, Haiti
11 (l.)- Residence by architect Vallejo,
Bogota, Columbia
11 (r.)- F. Pacheco, Ecooca, Brazil
13 (l.)- K. Watanabe, Community Center, South
Shounah, Jordan
13 (r.), 31 (r.), 35 (l.), 40- R. Barber/ EMI,
Brazil
20 (l.)- Athens Zen Center, Ohio, US
21 (r.)- T. Hall, Residence, Hawaii
26 (l.)- Shine on Sierra Leone School, Sierra
Leone
31 (r.), 36 (l.)- Aman Setu School, Pune, India
33 (l.) K. Hart, Puerto Vallarto, Mexico
33 (r.), 37 (r.)- J. Anderton, Eternally Solar,
www.earthbagbuild.com
34 (r.)- J. Balmer, Phangan Earthworks, Koh
Phangan, Thailand
37 (l.)- Christina & Reid, Addition, sw US
A public service of www.BuildSimple.org
Volunteers are welcome to translate this series. Please ask for an original
file and let us post a copy.
41 EARTHBAG INFO 4: Build Earthbag Walls Better