How to Build a House From Rammed Earth

Rammed earth construction is nothing new. Portions of the Great Wall of China were constructed with rammed earth. The method of building a house from rammed earth is similar to building an adobe home. With looming environmental crises, a crumbling housing market and the rising costs of energy, more and more people are considering alternative forms of house construction. Eco-friendly home-construction methods combine traditional and innovative building techniques to create homes that are easy to build, cheap to maintain and environmentally sound.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Soil (with sand and clay)
• Earth moving equipment
• Concrete
• Wooden posts
• Steel beams

Prepare Some Earth to Ram

1. Excavate a good amount of earth. You may need the help of earth moving equipment, like tractors.
2. Sift the earth. Use a 1-inch metal mesh to remove any roots or large stones from the earth. Make sure to protect the earth from rain or other forms of moisture while completing this step.
3. Test the earth to make sure it has a healthy mix of sand and clay. Ideally, the earth should be 50-to-76-percent sand. Cracks in the earth can be a sign that there's too much clay.

Prepare a Site for Your Rammed Earth House

4. Clear a site. When building a rammed earth home, it's a good idea to do as little landscaping as possible. Instead of leveling hills or removing trees, try to find a site that's already fairly clear.
5. Construct a concrete foundation for your home. You might want to consult with a construction professional to make sure you're building a safe and sound foundation.
6. Determine where your frost line will be located, and make sure your foundation rises above it. This can prevent the need for extra insulation.

Build Rammed Earth Walls

7. Build a framework for your home's walls. Use wooden planks to form a skeletal structure and plywood panels to connect them.
8. Shovel in the earth. Start by adding one 4-inch layer at a time.
9. Ram some earth. Pound the layer of earth until it is dense and solid.
10. Continue adding and trampling 4-inch layers until you've constructed a full wall.
11. Finish your walls by adding extra insulation and a layer of plaster. While rammed earth walls don't necessarily require any finishing, a layer of plaster or mortar can give your walls a professional look.

Finish Your Rammed Earth Home

12. Add a roof to your home. Contract the services of a roofer, or consider building an environmentally friendly sloping roof of your own.
13. Hire an electrician to help you run wires and outlets throughout your rammed earth home.
14. Install flooring. While environmental purists often opt for natural earth floors, it's possible to install carpeting or wood floors to suit your individual taste.

Tips & Warnings

• Walls built from rammed earth have a high thermal mass. That means they provide exceptional natural insulation from inhospitable weather. Depending on your specific location, you may choose to supplement your rammed earth home with an extra layer of eco-friendly insulation.
• Mix cement with your rammed earth to create a sturdier structure. Most rammed earth homes contain 5-to-10-percent cement.

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