Earthbag building: the tools, tricks and techniques

771 Pages·2004·30.58 MB·English

by  Kaki Hunter

Table of Contents

Praise
Title Page
Copyright Page
Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 - The Merits of Earthbag Building

Simplicity
Cut Barbed Wire Not Trees
Advantages of Earthbag Over Other Earth Building Methods
Other Observations Concerning Earthbags
The Proof is in the Pudding
Thermal Performance
Cost Effectiveness
Empowering Community
Sustainability

CHAPTER 2 - Basic Materials for Earthbag Building

The Dirt
The Basic Components of Earth Building Soil
Determining Soil Ratios
Exceptions to the Ultimate Clay/Sand Ratio
Soil Preparation and Moisture Content
Adjust the Moisture to Suit the Job
Bags and Tubes: The Flexible Form
Barbed Wire: The Velcro Mortar
Tie Wires
Arch Window and Door Forms
Velcro Plates
Scabs
Cradles
CHAPTER 3 - Tools, Tricks, and Terminology

Prior Preparation, Patience, Practice, and Perseverance Promote
Preferred ...
Evolution of the Bag Stand
Diddling
Locking the Diddles
Pre-Diddled Bags (Fig. 3.6)
The Humble #10 Can (Fig. 3.8)
Can Tossing
Sliders
Tampers
Hardassing
Bag Whacking
Suspended Brick Weights
Fan Bags (Fig 3.18)
The Wedge Box (Fig 3.19)
Keystone Bags (Fig 3.23)
Tube Chutes (Fig. 3.24)
Loading a Tube Chute (Fig. 3.25-3.28)
Laying a Coil
Tips for Tubes
HardAssing the Butt-End of a Tube
Teamwork
Closing in a Row
Hard-Packing a Bag
Scooching
Construction-Size Architectural Compasses For Domes and Round
Vertical Walls
A Sliding Compass Arm
Finally!

CHAPTER 4 - Foundations

Conventional Concrete Foundation System
Earthbag Rubble Trench Foundation Systems
Our Basic Rubble Trench
Concrete Earthbag Stem Wall
Stabilized Earth Stem Walls
Mixing procedure for cement or lime stabilized soil.
Moisture Barriers, Vapor Barriers, and Capillary Breaks
Traditional and Alternative Foundation/Stem Walls
Insulated Earthbag Foundation/Stem Walls
Pumice/Earthbag Insulated Foundation
Design Considerations for Bermed and Buried Structures
Round Is Sound
Site Evaluation
Earthquake Resilient Foundations

CHAPTER 5 - Structural Design Features for Earthbag Walls

Height Limitations
Lateral Support (Fig. 5.2)
Height to Width Ratio
Round Walls
Proper Placement of Barbed Wire
Interlock Corners
Tube Corners
Window and Door Openings
Locking Row
Designing Post and Beam

CHAPTER 6 - Step-By-Step Flexible-Form Rammed Earth Technique, or How
to Turn ...

Foundations
ROW 1
ROW 2
Strip Anchors
Arch Forms
Fan Bags
Hand Shaping a Fan Bag
The Keystones for a Roman Arch
Installing the Keystones
Keystones for a Gothic Arch
Locking Row
Removal of the Forms
CHAPTER 7 - Electrical, Plumbing, Shelving, and Intersecting Walls: Making
the Connection

Introduction
Electrical Installations
Electrical Conduit
UF Cable
Power Entry
Plumbing
Intersecting Stud Frame Walls
Shelving, Cabinets, and Stair Attachments
Velcro Shelf Brackets
Stairs
Nichos
Attaching into an Earthbag Wall After Building is Completed

CHAPTER 8 - Lintel, Window, and Door Installation

Lintels
Window Installation
Installing a Vinyl Window into an Earthbag Arch Opening (Fig. 8.5)
Door Installation
Designing for Future Additions

CHAPTER 9 - Roof Systems

Bond Beams (Fig. 9.2)
Cost Considerations
Introduction to Alternative Roof Systems Without Bond Beams (Fig. 9.9)
Velcro Plates
Vigas
Vaulted Viga Roof
Special Considerations for Round Houses
Dirtbag Silo
Dirtbag Yurts (Lightweight Compression Roof System)
The Reciprocal Roof
A Circle Within a Square
Roof Coverings
A Living Roof (Fig. 9.28)
Making Use of Local Resources

CHAPTER 10 - Arches: Putting the Arc Back into Architecture

The Dynamics of an Arch
Two Classical Arches The Roman Arch (Fig. 10.4)
The Gothic Arch
The First Step: Drawing the Arch (Fig. 10.6)
Springline of an Arch
Determining the Outward Forces of an Arch
The Catenary
Vaults
Leaning Vaults

CHAPTER 11 - Dynamics of a Dome

Dynamics
Traditional Dome Building Techniques
Bond Beams
Earthbag Domes
Designing (Drafting) an Earthbag Dome
Advantages of Earthbag Domes
Disadvantages (depending on your point of view) of Earthbag Domes

CHAPTER 12 - Illustrated Guide to Dome Construction

How We Built the Honey House
Corbel Simulation Test with Tubes
Drawings for the Honey House
Building Clay Models
Dome Building: Sequence of Events
Excavation
Compass Installation
Foundation and Stem Wall
Installing Door and Window Forms
Buttressing
The Springline: Corbelling the Bags and Tubes
Installing Arch Forms
SecondStory Floor Joists
Optional Eaves
Dome Work Progresses
Corbelling Safety Tips
Closing in the Dome
Directions for a Dome With a Grade Level Floor
Are Buildings for Squares?

CHAPTER 13 - Roofing Options for Domes

Earthen Plaster Roof for Dry Climates
Lime Plaster Roof
Waterproofing Additives for Lime Plaster
Tile and Flagstone
Stabilized Earth
Ferro Cement
Living Thatch Roof for Domes
Shingled Dome with Extended Eaves
Insulated Light Wood Frame
External StrawBale-Insulated Roof

CHAPTER 14 - Exterior Plasters

Earthen Plaster
The Big Three: Clay, Sand, and Fiber
Plastering Equipment
Test Batches
How to Prepare Exterior Earthen Plaster
Procedure for Hand Application Directly Over Earthbags
Application Over Chicken Wire
Mechanical Application
Uses of Cob with Earthbags
Lime Plaster
Lime Water
Lime Wash
Cement Plaster (Fig. 14.18)
Conclusion

CHAPTER 15 - Interior Plasters
Fat Plaster
The Key to Successful Fat Plaster is in the Variety of Fiber Sizes
Additives for Fat Plaster
Fat Plaster Recipe (Fig. 15.3)
Application Directly Over Earthbags: You Determine How Thick
Types of Sand for Finish Earth Plasters
Casein Fortified Finishes
Casein Binder Stabilized Finish Plaster
Water-Resistant Earthen Countertops and Bathing Areas
Alis
Flour-Paste Fortified Finish Plaster
Sealers
Gypsum
Lime Finishes
Fresco

CHAPTER 16 - Floors

Sub-Floor: A Capillary Break
Mid-Layer: The Comfort Zone
Final Layer — The Beauty Coat
Mud-Mortared Stone or Saltillo Tile (Fig. 16.8)
Grout
Casein-Stabilized Earthen Grout
Sealing An Earthen Floor

CHAPTER 17 - Designing for Your Climate

Strategies for Keeping Cool
Passive Solar Gain
Insulation Strategies for Earthbag Walls
Advantages of Bermed and Buried Structures

CHAPTER 18 - The Code
APPENDIX A - Build Your Own Dirtbag Tools
APPENDIX B - How To Figure Basic Earthbag Construction Costs, Labor, and
Time
APPENDIX C - Conversions and Calculations
APPENDIX D - The Magic of a Circle
Resource Guide
Index
About the Authors
Advance Praise for Earthbag Building The
Tools,Tricks and Techniques

This inviting, complete guide to earthbag construction is humorous, very well
written, and chock full of good ideas and dynamite illustrations. When you finish
reading this book there’s only one thing left to do: get out there and get to it!

— Dan Chiras, Co-author of The Natural Plaster Book and author of The
Natural House, The Solar House, and Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable
Neighborhoods

Natural building practitioners, like Kaki and Doni, have persevered through
years of trial and error, teaching, learning, innovating and becoming respected
leaders of the natural building community. As Earthbag Building: The Tools,
Tricks and Techniques demonstrates, Kaki and Doni are smart, they are playful,
they are wise, they are fine teachers and they have lots of get down and dirty
practical experience to share about how to transform bags of earth and earth/lime
plasters into beautiful and sensual buildings. We offer a deep bow to these
champions of natural building, who (we now know) are doing real and
transformational work; offering us doable ways to meet our basic human need
for shelter in ways that are restorative and sustainable to both the earth and the
spirit.

— Judy Knox and Matts Myhrman, Out On Bale, Tucson, Arizona

Who would have thought that you could make a beautiful, super solid and
durable home using dirt-filled grain sacks? Earthbag Building shows not only
that you can, but that you can have fun and feel secure doing it. With humor,
integrity and delight, Kaki and Doni have distilled into written word and clear
illustration their years of dedicated research and work refining the process and
tools for this promising building technique. Their thorough approach and
objective discussions of pros, cons and appropriate applications makes this book