Construyendo Con Tierra

Building with Earth

1

Introduction

Gernot Minke

Building with Earth
Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture

Birkhäuser – Publishers for Architecture Basel · Berlin · Boston
3 Appendices

Preface 7

I The technology of earth building
1 Introduction 11 History 11 Earth as a building material: the essentials 13 Improving indoor climate 15 Prejudices against earthas a building material 18 2 The properties of earth as a building material 19 Composition 19 Tests used to analyse the composition of loam 21 Effects of water 24 Effects of vapour 29 Influence of heat 31 Strength 32 pH-value 35 Radioactivity 35 Shelter against high-frequency electromagnetic radiation 35 3 Preparing of loam 36 Soaking, crushing and mixing 36 Sieving 38 Mechanical slurrying 38Water Curing 38 Thinning 38 4 Improving the earth’s characteristics by special treatment or additives 39 Reduction of shrinkage cracks 39 Stabilisation against water erosion 40 Enhancement of binding force 42 Increasing compressive strength 43 Strength against abrasion 47 Increasing thermal insulation 47 5 Rammed earthworks 52 Formwork 53 Tools 54 Method of construction 55 Shaping of openings 55 Newwall construction techniques 56 Rammed earth domes 59 Drying 59 Labour input 60 Thermal insulation 60 Surface treatment 60
4 Appendices

6 Working with earthen blocks 61 History 61 Production of earth blocks 62 Material composition 65 Laying earth blocks 65 Surface treatment 66 Fixing fasteners to walls 67 Lightweight loam blocks 67 Special acoustic green bricks 68 7 Large blocks andprefabricated panels 69 Large blocks 69 Prefabricated wall panels 70 Floor slabs 70 Floor tiles 71 Extruded loam slabs 71 8 Direct forming with wet loam 72 Traditional wet loam techniques 72 The “Dünne loam loaf” technique 74 The stranglehm technique 75 9 Wet loam infill in skeleton structures 80 Thrown loam 80 Sprayed loam 80 Rolls and bottles of straw loam 81 Lightweight loam infill 82 Infill withstranglehm and earth-filled hoses 82 10 Tamped, poured or pumped lightweight loam 83 Formwork 83 Tamped lightweight straw loam walls 83 Tamped lightweight wood loam walls 84 Tamped, poured or pumped lightweight mineral loam walls 85 Pumped lightweight mineral loam floors 88 Loam-filled hollow blocks 89 Loam-filled hoses 90 11 Loam plasters 92 Preparation of ground 92 Composition of loam plaster 92Guidelines for plastering earth walls 94 Sprayed plaster 95 Lightweight mineral loam plaster 95 Thrown plaster 95 Plastered straw bale houses 95 Wet formed plaster 96 Protection of corners 96

12 Weather protection of loam surfaces 98 Consolidating the surface 98 Paints 98 Making surfaces water-repellent 101 Lime plasters 101 Shingles, planks and other covers 103 Structural methods 103 13 Repair ofloam components 104 The occurrence of damage in loam components 104 Repair of cracks and joints with loam fillers 104 Repair of cracks and joints with other fillers 105 Repairing larger areas of damage 105 Retrofitting thermal insulation with lightweight loam 106 14 Designs of particular building elements 107 Joints 107 Particular wall designs 108 Intermediate floors 110 Rammed earth floorings 112Inclined roofs filled with lightweight loam 115 Earth-covered roofs 115 Earth block vaults and domes 117 Earthen storage wall in winter gardens 131 Loam in bathrooms 132 Built-in furniture and sanitary objects from loam 133 Wall heating systems 134 Passive solar wall heating system 134 15 Earthquake-resistant building 135 Structural measures 136 Openings for doors and windows 140 Bamboo-reinforcedrammed earth walls 141 Domes 144 Vaults 145 Textile walls with loam infill 147

Residence and studio at Gallina Canyon, New Mexico, USA 162 Residence at Des Montes, near Taos, New Mexico, USA 164 Casita Nuaanarpoq at Taos, New Mexico, USA 166 Residence and office at Bowen Mountain, New South Wales, Australia 167 Vineyard Residence at Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia 168 Residence,...