Essential Earthbag Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

138 Pages·2018·13.97 MB·English

by  Kelly Hart

DIY / SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
Build economical and resilient earthbag structures
using simple tools and techniques.
essential
EARTHBAG CONSTRUCTION – building with polypropylene bags
usually filled with earthen materials – is a versatile, easy-to-master, low-
impact, and highly durable form of building, suitable for structures from
E AR T H BAG
houses to root cellars.
Essential Earthbag Construction is a fully illustrated, practical guide to this
affordable method of building. Going well beyond the scope of other
sources, this indispensable manual is packed with all the information you E
CONSTRUCTION
need to determine if it’s the right choice for your project, and to start A
building. Distilling decades of experience, research, and best practices, R
it covers: T
H
• Material specifications, performance, and when and where to use it
B
• Pros and cons of different fills from gravel, to earth and clay, to Distilling both his own hard-won expe-
A
insulative perlite, rice hulls, and volcanic stone rience and the combined wisdom of
G
• Illustrated, step-by-step guidance for efficient bag filling the rapidly-expanding worldwide earth-

and installation bag network, Hart delivers a thorough, C
• Details for various designs, including domes and arches detailed and readable guidebook that O
tells you everything you need to know
• Foundation options and seismic and stability considerations N
for success with this potent technique.
• Finishing and maintenance techniques S
• Tools and materials — Michael G. Smith, co-editor, The Art of T
Natural Building and co-author,
• Additional resources. R
The Hand-Sculpted House
U
Essential Earthbag Construction presents the practical guidance and • • • • • • • • • •
C
best practices for both the DIYer and professional to design and build
A must-have book…with practical and T
high-quality earthbag structures.
essential information on this user-friendly I
O
Kelly Hart is an earthbag builder, author, and filmmaker, and hosts the widely visited method of construction.
N
websites www.greenhomebuilding.com and www.earthbagbuilding.com. His multi-dome — Will Beemer, author, Learn to Timber Frame
earthbag Colorado residence is chronicled in the video Building with Bags: How We Made
Our Experimental Earthbag/Papercrete House. Kelly lives in Silver City, New Mexico. • • • • • • • • • •
Hart demonstrates that anyone can build
a home, so use this book and give it a go!
— Penny Pickerill author, Eco-Homes:
People, Place and Politics
• • • • • • • • • •
I wouldn’t even attempt it without study-
New Society’s Sustainable Building Essentials Series aims to
provide the highest quality information on sustainable building methods ing this book thoroughly and referring to
and materials. Editors Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin have scoured the it throughout the building process. H
world of sustainable building to bring you the techniques and systems that
a
deliver measureable benefits in terms of greater energy efficiency and reduced — Rob Roy, author, Essential Cordwood
r
environmental impact. Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders, Building and Cordwood Building t
designers, and engineers, these succinct, user-friendly handbooks are
indispensable tools for any project.
the complete step-by-step guide
www.newsociety.com Kelly Hart
Praise for
Essential Earthbag Construction
A must-have book for anyone interested in natural and sustainable building.
It expands the possibilities with practical and essential information on this
user-friendly method of construction.
— Will Beemer, Director of the Heartwood School for the Homebuilding Crafts
and author of Learn to Timber Frame.
Kelly Hart and Dr. Owen Geiger ( who wrote the very informative Foreword )
probably know as much about earthbag building as anyone. Friend Kelly has always had
a clear and concise way of explaining his subject, both in lectures and in his several books.
I’ve never built an earthbag structure, although we once did a cordwood building
on an earthbag foundation in New Zealand. But I wouldn’t even attempt it without
studying this book thoroughly and referring to it throughout the building process.
— Rob Roy, Director, Earthwood Building School and
author of Essential Cordwood Building
There is an urgent need for more sustainable homes and earthbag construction offers
excellent, affordable, strong eco-friendly housing using natural and local materials.
They are beautiful, comfortable and robust. This book is a comprehensive, practical and
inspirational guide that is both detailed and easy to follow. Hart demonstrates
that anyone can build a home, so use this book and give it a go!
— Jenny Pickerill, Professor of Environmental Geography, University of Sheffield, UK and
author of Eco-Homes: People, Place and Politics (Zed Books)
Who doesn’t love earthbags? Only people who don’t know about this most versatile
of earthen building techniques, suitable for building inexpensive low-impact homes on
most parts of the globe. With just a pile of dirt, some bags, barbed wire, a tamper and a
few basic tools, you can build an earthbag dome, retaining wall, or root cellar.
For over 20 years author Kelly Hart has been experimenting and promoting simple
DIY ecological building techniques, especially via his excellent web sites.
Distilling both his own hard-won experience and the combined wisdom of the
rapidly-expanding worldwide earthbag network, Hart delivers a thorough,
detailed and readable guidebook that tells you everything you need to know
for success with this potent technique.
— Michael G. Smith, co-editor, The Art of Natural Building and
co-author, The Hand-Sculpted House

New Society
Sustainable Building Essentials Series
Series editors
Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin
Title list
Essential Hempcrete Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Building Science, Jacob Deva Racusin
Essential Light Straw Clay Construction, Lydia Doleman
Essential Sustainable Home Design, Chris Magwood
Essential Cordwood Building, Rob Roy
Essential Earthbag Construction, Kelly Hart
See www.newsociety.com/SBES for a complete list of new and forthcoming series titles.
THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ESSENTIALS SERIES covers the full range of natural and
green building techniques with a focus on sustainable materials and methods and code compliance.
Firmly rooted in sound building science and drawing on decades of experience, these large-format,
highly illustrated manuals deliver comprehensive, practical guidance from leading experts using a
well-organized step-by-step approach. Whether your interest is foundations, walls, insulation,
mechanical systems, or final finishes, these unique books present the essential information on each
topic including:
• Material specifications, testing, and building code references
• Plan drawings for all common applications
• Tool lists and complete installation instructions
• Finishing, maintenance, and renovation techniques
• Budgeting and labor estimates
• Additional resources
Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders, designers, and engineers, these succinct,
user-friendly handbooks are indispensable tools for any project where accurate and reliable informa-
tion is key to success. GET THE ESSENTIALS!
Copyright © 2018 by Kelly Hart. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh. Bottom right dome image: Scott Howard. All others: Kelly Hart.
Illustrations by Dale Brownson.
Background photo AdobeStock_95944284.
Printed in Canada. First printing March 2018.
This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide.
The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated
with the application of any of the contents of this book.
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Essential Earthbag Construction should be addressed
to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers,
please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
[phone]
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Hart, Kelly, 1943-, author
Essential earthbag construction : the complete step by step guide / Kelly Hart.
(Sustainable building essentials)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-86571-864-7 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-55092-656-9 (PDF).--
ISBN 978-1-77142-251-2 (EPUB)
1. Earth construction. 2. Earth houses--Design and construction.
I. Title. II. Title: Earthbag construction. III. Series: Sustainable building essentials
TH1421.H37 2018 693’.22 C2017-907827-5
C2017-907828-3
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways
to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible
impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.
Contents
Acknowledgments ................................................................ xi
Foreword ......................................................................... xiii
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Earthbag Building ...................................... 1
Chapter 2: Appropriate Uses for Earthbags .......................................... 5
Chapter 3: Building Science Notes .................................................. 7
Chapter 4: Material Specifications ................................................... 13
Bags ........................................................................... 13
Fill material ...................................................................... 15
Barbed wire and other types of reinforcement ...................................... 22
Plaster ........................................................................... 24
Chapter 5: Tools .................................................................. 25
Chapter 6: Foundations ............................................................ 29
Chapter 7: Building Walls .......................................................... 35
Locate source of fill material ....................................................... 35
Filling bags ....................................................................... 36
Placing barbed wire and twine ..................................................... 38
Laying bags in a pattern ........................................................... 40
Closing the top of the bag ......................................................... 41
Using a metal slider ............................................................... 42
Tamping the bags ................................................................. 43
Placing vertical reinforcement rods ................................................ 44
Building domes .................................................................. 45
Chapter 8: Design Considerations and Constraints ................................... 49
Vertical walls ..................................................................... 49
Domes .......................................................................... 49
Vaults ........................................................................... 52
Buttresses ........................................................................ 53
Bond beams ...................................................................... 55
Door and window openings ....................................................... 60
Door and window bucks ....................................................... 60
Arches and other shapes ....................................................... 62
Spacing openings .............................................................. 65
Vertical reinforcement for openings ............................................. 65
Lintels ........................................................................ 66
Wall thickness .................................................................... 67
More than one story .............................................................. 68
ix