Earthbag construction involves building structures using bags filled with earth, sediment or stones. It is cost-effective, robust and can be used for flood control and building homes. Earthbags do not require a concrete foundation, but a trench lined with gravel is recommended. Filler materials include slag, crushed volcanic rock, earth, sand, rice husks, perlite and vermiculite. Local building codes and permit restrictions can be obstacles to construction.
Earthbag construction is the practice of creating structures, including buildings, built from layers of bags filled with earth, sediment, or stones. It results in economical and robust structures. The military has been building protective earthbag construction bunkers for decades; this type of construction can be used for flood control and also for building houses and sheds. New designs and construction techniques make Earthbag materials a practical, environmentally friendly and economical way to build that provides superior insulation values to other types of construction. Both university research departments and design enterprises continue to develop new applications for earthbag construction.
One of the immediately noticeable differences between conventional construction and earthbag construction is that a concrete foundation is not required. The recommended foundation for earthbag walls is to dig a trench as wide as the bags, below the frost line. The trench should be lined with gravel and equipped with a French waste pipe capable of draining water from the building. On top of this gravel footing, several layers of bags should be filled with gravel to prevent moisture penetration. Each layer of earth bags should be followed by two strands of four-pronged barbed wire to provide stability, and the inner and outer walls should be plastered to prevent the sun’s ultraviolet rays from damaging the polypropylene bags.
In colder climates, it is recommended to fill the bags with slag, crushed volcanic rock, rather than earth. The slag creates trapped air in the bags, increasing insular properties for mostly cold climates. Additional bag fill materials include earth, sand, rice husks, perlite, and vermiculite. Local climate and the availability of filler materials can influence the choice of which filler to use. The use of all these earthbag fillers for the construction of houses, root cellars, farm outbuildings, cisterns, and retaining walls can bring economy to construction.
Local building codes and permit restrictions often present the greatest obstacles to planning any type of land lot construction. For example, in many areas, while a concrete foundation is not required for soundness, it may be required before a building permit can be obtained. A great deal of structural testing has been done at universities to ensure that these structures are sound, but local code authorities may not recognize these studies. Additionally, local banks may be reluctant to issue a construction loan for non-traditional building plans, as finding a comparable home in the area to formulate a comparable home value for the loan may prove difficult. However, many have managed to overcome these hurdles to build their low-cost passive solar dream homes by doing much of the work themselves.
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