A presentation on earth-bag construction along the lines of a practical workshop on building an earth-bag dome. This presentation includes some theoretical information on earth-bag building, some example projects, and guides you step by step through the process of building, plastering and painting an earthbag doem

1. earth-bag construction
practical experience with natural building
Ilonka Marselis

3. Building with the earth below your feet
from one-day emergency shelter to ecological family home

4. Why earth-bag building?
- Low-tech, natural building technique
- Bullet, flood and earthquake proof
- Thermal mass
- Local
- Low-cost
- Easy
- No need for wood
- Organic shapes, retain spirit of nature
- Healthy
- Regulates humidity levels

5. Arch-itecture
Arch is strongest shape in nature rotated arch forms a strong dome

6. Nepal
Earthbag construction vs. standard constructions after the Nepal earthquake
Nader Khalili’s Pegasus
Childs orphanage

7. Haiti
Building a new church after the
earthquake in 2010

8. Africa
Village project for Uganda

9. Western World
La Casa Vergara - José Andrés Vallejo

10. Some terminology on building with earth
‐ Adobe – sundried mudbricks
‐ Sandbags
‐ Earthbags – tamped clay composition
‐ Superadobe – friction and tensile resistance
‐ Hyperadobe – knitted fabric with open netting
Adobe bricks Sandbags Earthbags Superadobe Hyperadobe bag

11. Plastic bags?
‐ Discarded packaging bags
‐ Cloth / jutten bags
‐ Cal-Earth ‘ professional bags’
‐ Cheaper polystyrene bags

12. Earth composition
‐ Mix sand, water and earth
‐ Sticky in your hand but no fingerprints
‐ Adding cement = stabalized bags Only single sand bags, +20 years old
Stabalized sand tubes, cement added to sand

13. The Netherlands
Insulation?
‐ Two rings of earthbag with cavity between them
‐ Insulate wall, for exp. With straw
‐ Different earth composition, for exp. glassfoam granulate
High-rise?
‐ Adding 5 % aramide, keflar or coalfibre can create every strength
‐ Adding a compression ring halfway along the dome

14. How to do it yourself?

15. All you need is
‐ Earth
‐ Bags / tubes
‐ Shovel
‐ Buckets
‐ Stamper
‐ Hammer
‐ Spirit level
‐ Chain
‐ Stanley knife
‐ Either barbed wire or wooden pegs
‐ Measurer

16. Let’s start building!
An empty plot and a pile of earth Drawing the diameter of the dome

17. No design?
‐ Diameter gives shape of dome
‐ Along the way adjustments to environment
The ‘ design’ for our dome

18. First layer
Use of gravel instead of earth for strength Getting the perfect fold Stamping the entire cirkel

19. Moisture control
Waterproof foil after first layers Waterproof foil against outside, drainage pipe for rainwater

20. Layering!
Placing a bag/tube Filling it with earth Finish a circle Stamp the circle Twag the sides

21. Keep checking
The spirit level across the circle The diameter of the dome The opening for the entrance

22. Earth bags vs. earth tubes
Less folds, easier shaping, more even, possible on your ownComplicated shapes, easy adjusting

23. Barbed wire vs. wooden pegs
After placing the bag, no adjustment possible
Not frienly and not natural
Faster, saver, easier, natural
Making pegs can be a sore!

24. Stamping away

25. Making the arch-entrance
Lancet arch with temporary wooden support

26. Taking out the support

27. Making a window
‐ Use sandbags / car tire / oil barrel / etc.
‐ No need for wood
‐ Fast and easy

28. Airducts using PVC pipes
‐ Fresh air
‐ Light
‐ Cheap, easy, fast
‐ Seasonally adjustable

29. Finishing the dome

30. Making the top window
A piece of glass from the dump, placed under a slight slope and supported by wooden pegs

31. Finished?

32. Covering an earth-bag dome
‐ UV-light breaks down the plastic bags
‐ Rain and dirt can enter
‐ Better indoor environment
Dome needs:
- A hat
- A breathing coat
- Good boots

33. Plastering
‐ Rough cob layer (mud mixed with sand)
‐ Clay plaster
‐ Cement
‐ Cow dung

34. Careful!
A cob layer under cement: nature will grow!

35. Cladding
Wooden shingles
Wooden construction
Stones

36. Roof
‐ In very rainy climates
‐ Wooden construction
‐ Straw
‐ Cement cloth
‐ Shingles
‐ Grass

37. Flat roof

38. Pointed roof
‐ Arquitectura en equilibrio
‐ Using earthbags as regular walls

39. Vaulted design
An earth-bag design doesn’t need to look like a dome!

40. What we did
We first applied cob

42. Sculpting

43. Finishing plaster
A mix of sand, clay, water and wheat paste
Make different mixes, test them for cracks Apply the mix on a test wall Make a large batch

45. Natural painting
- Paint based on clay
- Mix clay, sand, pigment and wheat paste
- Consistancy of quark
- Pigments: colored clay, charcoal, dried flowers, spices

47. Earthbag building for everyone and everywhere

48. References
‐ http://earthbagbuilding.com/index.htm info
‐ http://earthhandsandhouses.org/ workshops/projects
‐ http://calearth.org/ info/workshops
‐ http://www.joseandresvallejoarquitecto.com/ ‘modern’ architecture
‐ http://www.matthiasroth.org/SpiritualMusic_IndianHarmonium/Nepal.html a friend building in Nepal
‐ http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/uganda.htm Uganda project
‐ http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-projects-in-haiti/ rebuilding Haiti
‐ Documentaries by Nader Khalili
‐ Building with earth – Paulina Wojciechowska
‐ Earthbag building guide – Owen Geiger
‐ Google: earth-bag building!
‐ Ask me: ilonka@marselis.eu