INGREDIENTS:
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EARTHBAGBuilding with earthbags is an inexpensive way to construct structures which can be relatively quick to build and also strong. Walls can be straight or curved, domed with earth or conventionally roofed. Using designs which employ round rooms and/ or domed ceilings provide the earthbag structure with good lateral stability. Straight walls longer than 5m long require
intersecting walls, bracing buttresses or piers added. Constructing with earthbags is a natural building technique that evolved from techniques for constructing military bunkers and temporary flood-control. The technique requires very basic construction materials: sturdy sacks, filled with inorganic material usually available on site. Walls are gradually built up by laying the bags in courses — forming a staggered pattern similar to bricklaying. After the initial construction, earthbag structures can be plastered in conventional ways or with an adobe finish and the exterior can be covered with a grass roof in the case of domed structures. |
MAINTENANCE: The longevity of earthbag structured depend on how well they are installed, the building’s design and what kind of
plaster is used. A lime plaster can last a century without maintenance while a clay plaster may last 5-10 years until another
coat is needed. The structure itself can last for centuries.
CONSTRUCTION TIME: A modest earthbag construction should take one person less than 2 weeks to build.
plaster is used. A lime plaster can last a century without maintenance while a clay plaster may last 5-10 years until another
coat is needed. The structure itself can last for centuries.
CONSTRUCTION TIME: A modest earthbag construction should take one person less than 2 weeks to build.