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Earthbag construction is an inexpensive method to create structures which are both strong and can be quickly built. It is a natural building technique that evolved from historic military bunker construction techniques and temporary flood-control dike building methods. The technique requires very basic construction materials: sturdy sacks, filled with inorganic material usually available on site (such as sand, gravel, clay or crushed volcanic rock). Walls are gradually built up by laying the bags in courses  forming a staggered pattern similar to bricklaying. The walls can be curved to provide improved lateral stability, forming round rooms and domed ceilings like an igloo. Buildings with straight walls longer than 5 m (16.4 ft) in length need either intersecting walls or bracing buttresses added. International standards exist for bracing wall size and spacing for earth construction in different types of seismic risk areas. Until more complete structural testing is available, cement-stabilized buttresses and mortar anchors to hold barbed wire at stress points can be used for public buildings in high seismic risk areas. To improve rigidity between each row of bags barbed wire is often placed between the courses. Twine is also sometimes wrapped around the bags to tie one course to the next, serving to hold the in-progress structure together and add strength. The structure is typically finished with plaster, stucco or adobe both to shed water and to prevent any degradation from solar radiation. This construction technique can be used for emergency shelters, temporary or permanent housing, barns or most conceivable small-to-medium-sized structures. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : Other specialized construction activities nec |
