Rammed Earth Conservation

Includes a free CD containing the full contents of the book.The rammed earth technique, in all its variants, is widespread all over the world. This enormously prevalent building technique harbours an important richness of varieties both in application and in materials used. Interventions on historical rammed earth buildings have also been carried o

A thorough examination of the use of earth as an eco-friendly building material, with full details on the properties of earth as a building material, appropriate construction techniques, and practical troubleshooting advice.

"This companion volume to Conservation of brick provides a fundamental understanding of the processes of repair and reconstruction of earth structures. The technical aspects of the study are treated from a non-scientific viewpoint to develop understanding of this relatively new field"--Page 4 of cover.

Explore strategies for the analysis and conservation of earth buildings, including adobe, cob and rammed earth. Richly illustrated with photographs and diagrams, this book provides an invaluable tool for the conservator, architect and engineer.

“All of the essential knowledge for completing a successful rammed earth project. Written by a geo-technical engineer with experience ramming earth.” —Kelly Hart, author, Essential Earthbag Construction Everything you need to know to build with rammed earth in warm and cold climates. Rammed earth—sand, gravel, and clay or lime/cement binder packed into forms—is a low-energy, high-performance building method, yielding beautiful, sustainable results. It’s thermally stable and can be insulated, can actively modulate humidity, provides a healthy indoor environment, and allows site materials to be used for major structural and building envelope elements. Essential Rammed Earth Construction covers design, building science, tools, and step-by-step building methods for any climate, with a special emphasis on building in cold climates of the northern US, Canada, and northern Europe. Coverage includes: Overview of earthen building Appropriate use of rammed earth walls Stabilized versus raw rammed earth Design considerations, including structural, insulation, and building envelope details Special considerations for cold and freeze-thaw climates Construction drawings, with step-by-step building instructions Tools and labor covering industrial methods, low-tech techniques, formwork options, mix design, budgets, and schedules Codes, inspections, and permits. This guide is an essential resource for experienced builders, DIY home owners, designers, engineers, and architects. “A much-needed and science-based update to a North American audience of designers, engineers and builders.” —Bruce King. P.E., author, The New Carbon Architecture “ A great book for anyone who wants to deepen their technical knowledge of rammed earth walls systems. It’s very helpful to have a book on rammed earth that is more focused on engineered rammed earth walls for cold climates.” —Clifton Schooley, Clifton Schooley & Associates, Rammed Earth Designers and Builders

Ramming earth has been a method of construction for centuries in many parts of the world and the technique can produce buildings that are strong, durable, safe and desirable. Because earth is an abundant and cheap resource, rammed earth buildings are often very economical. To achieve the best results the right techniques for the selection and testing of soils must be used to protect walls from water damage and shrinkage. This book aims to show how high standards can be achieved and the criteria on which rammed earth structures and building techniques can be judged. Since the fi rst edition of this book was published, the standards described in Rammed Earth Structures has been adopted as a Building Standard in Zimbabwe. Further progress is being made extending the use of rammed earth as an officially sanctioned building material across all SADC countries. This book is now therefore becoming an important guide and resource for those wishing to employ this economical and low-carbon building material in the construction of public as well as private buildings in Africa and elsewhere. This book aims to show how high standards can be achieved and the criteria on which rammed earth structures and building techniques can be judged. An important guide and resource for those wishing to employ this economical and low-carbon building material in the construction of public as well as private buildings in Africa and elsewhere.

Worldwide, there is a vast but fragile earthen heritage that is barely surviving due to serious damage of the fabric. It is generally believed that natural agents are the overall cause for the decay of earthen heritage. However, when thoroughly evaluating, it can be observed that conservators’ interventions have a major impact, which leads to question current approaches to conservation and the reasons why intervention mistakes are repeated and why successful conservation results are still scarce. The research methodology of this investigation is based in a case study strategy analysing three World Heritage earthen sites, namely Chan Chan in Peru, Aït Ben Haddou in Morocco and Arg-e Bam in Iran. A combination of sources was also used, following a multi-method approach. This book suggests implementing standards for high quality intervention through the definition of criteria for decision-making and indicators of quality and best practice, as well as clarification concerning procedures in the methodology of intervention. It also stresses the importance of conservation theory in earthen heritage conservation, combining theory and practice. In addition, the book recommends an overall strategy in the conservation of earthen heritage, with particular emphasis on an approach that integrates education, awareness, research and preventive conservation.

Vernacular architecture in general and earthen architecture in particular, with their rich variety of forms worldwide, are custodians of the material culture and identity of the peoples who built them. In addition, they are widely recognized as ancestral examples of sustainability in all their variants and interpretations, and the architecture of the present ought to learn from these when designing the sustainable architecture of the future. The conservation of these architectures – seemingly simple yet full of wisdom – is to be undertaken now given their intrinsic value and their status as genuine examples of sustainability to be learnt from and interpreted in contemporary architecture. Vernacular and earthen architecture: Conservation and Sustainability will be a valuable source of information for academics and professionals in the fields of Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Construction and Building Engineering and Architecture.