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What is Rammed Earth?
Dirt. You pack it into forms like concrete, and tamp it down with sledge hammers or pneumatic devices.
Why we like Rammed Earth
A local material, as natural as it can be. Wonderful quiet interior, and great thermal mass—it gains heat in the day and releases it at night. One study estimated that a rammed earth house uses a third of the energy of a conventional house. It can create a really healthy house, as it controls humidity by absorbing moisture. It is fireproof, soundproof, rodent proof. It has been around for thousands of years.
Eco-factor of Rammed Earth
Again, a natural material that goes right back into the earth at the end of its useful life. Or as one architect noted about the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, "one day it will make a great ruin."
What we worry about with Rammed Earth
Water. Proper overhangs and protection are essential.
Where to get Rammed Earth
Anywhere; dirt is all around us.
Cost of Rammed Earth
Material cost is low, but labour is very high. Some have written that it costs less than conventional construction, and if you are building yourself, that is probably true. Terra Firma Builders, a Canadian rammed earth builder, suggests that a house built of rammed earth would cost about 10% more than a conventional house.
More information: Rammed earth is for everyone
