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This Instructable explains each main step of construction for building vertical earthbag walls. Videos on my Earthbag Natural Building YouTube channel demonstrate the process.
For those who don’t know, earthbag building uses polypropylene rice bags or feed bags filled with soil or insulation that are stacked like masonry and tamped flat. Barbed wire between courses keeps bags from slipping and adds tensile strength. The final plastered walls look just like adobe structures. Thousands of people are now building with bags to create their dream homes, home offices, shops, resorts, rootcellars, storm cellars and survival shelters. Non-profit organizations are building schools, orphanages, emergency shelters and other structures.
I got involved with earthbag building when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit Southeast Asia in December, 2004. As the director of Builders Without Borders at that time, I searched all available affordable, sustainable building methods and decided building with bags was the most practical. They’re flood resistant (used for flood control), earthquake resistant (passed an ICBO shake table test), bullet and blast resistant (used for military bunkers), and now engineer and code approved plans are available. Just search for earthbag house plans on the Internet.
Our websites at EarthbagBuilding.com and Earthbag Building Blog explain just about everything you need to know for free. And if you’re looking for house plans, my Earthbag House Plans site features over 110 sustainable plans that can be purchased through Dream Green Homes. My new Earthbag Building Guide and Earthbag Building DVD are now available.
The following instructions assume you have cleared and leveled the site, removed topsoil, positioned fill soil around the building site to minimize work, dug a trench to stable subsoil, put about 12” of gravel in the trench, and added corner guides and stringlines.
For those who don’t know, earthbag building uses polypropylene rice bags or feed bags filled with soil or insulation that are stacked like masonry and tamped flat. Barbed wire between courses keeps bags from slipping and adds tensile strength. The final plastered walls look just like adobe structures. Thousands of people are now building with bags to create their dream homes, home offices, shops, resorts, rootcellars, storm cellars and survival shelters. Non-profit organizations are building schools, orphanages, emergency shelters and other structures.
I got involved with earthbag building when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit Southeast Asia in December, 2004. As the director of Builders Without Borders at that time, I searched all available affordable, sustainable building methods and decided building with bags was the most practical. They’re flood resistant (used for flood control), earthquake resistant (passed an ICBO shake table test), bullet and blast resistant (used for military bunkers), and now engineer and code approved plans are available. Just search for earthbag house plans on the Internet.
Our websites at EarthbagBuilding.com and Earthbag Building Blog explain just about everything you need to know for free. And if you’re looking for house plans, my Earthbag House Plans site features over 110 sustainable plans that can be purchased through Dream Green Homes. My new Earthbag Building Guide and Earthbag Building DVD are now available.
The following instructions assume you have cleared and leveled the site, removed topsoil, positioned fill soil around the building site to minimize work, dug a trench to stable subsoil, put about 12” of gravel in the trench, and added corner guides and stringlines.
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Signing UpStep 1Tools and materials
Step 1. Tools and materials (listed left to right): woven polypropylene bags (about 18” x 30”), bucket chute (4-gallon bucket with bottom cut off), 4 or 5 heavy duty 2-gallon cement buckets, stringline, metal chisel and scrap steel for cutting barbed wire (or bolt cutters), hammer, sheetmetal slider (about 13” x 16”), 15 gauge galvanized wire, knife, wire cutters, tape measure, 4-point barbed wire, corner guide, grub hoe or grape hoe, level, tampers, bundle 500 bags, shovel.
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I have been researching using earthbags here in N. Florida and have decided to use some plans found online. As far as building the walls how long does the process normally take two average guys for 450 sq ft? I am going to start with a small and straightforward plan at first. I have priced the bags and tools to do the job and can spend less than $500 to fully enclose the structure.Any tips or suggestions?
Here's the specific blog post about rate of earthbag wall building: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/rate-of-earthbag-wall-building/
The speed depends on all sorts of details. Again, search our blog for keywords such as 'production', 'efficient', etc. I usually address this using the term production building or production earthbag building. Really think through every step because you can save lots of hard work. Buy good soil such as road base that can be shoveled directly into bags without mixing. Stack piles around the job site to reduce labor. Fill the bags on the wall so you don't have to lift heavy bags. Consider setting up a big tarp so you can work in the shade. Build a simple shape such as a rectangle or circle.
My YouTube videos show every step. http://www.youtube.com/user/naturalhouses
See Geosynthetics Magazine: http://geosyntheticsmagazine.com/materials/geotextiles
You can get earthbag engineered plans through Precision Structural Engineering, Inc. at http://www.structure1.com/
My Earthbag House Plans site has over 110 designs to choose from: http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/
This is a huge subject of interest, because it has a major bearing on the cost of construction. You might want to join the discussion on our blog: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/counties-with-few-or-no-building-codes/
http://www.youtube.com/user/naturalhouses
Not sure what sail twine is. You can use whatever works. Try it out. Something about the thickness of fishing net twine is all you need. Thin wire works. I show various methods in my videos. The latest, fastest method I've settled on his two short pieces of wire. I do a race with a lady to see what's fastest.
1. site preparation (preparing the building site): standard building procedure
2. rubble trench under the dome: this is standard building procedure
http://www.buildnaturally.com/EDucate/Articles/RubbleTrench.htm
3. the stake at the doorway guides the curvature of the dome: tie a string or cord to this stake and use it to check the distance to each course of bags. In other words, each course is inset slightly (= corbelling). If each course matches this radius then your dome will have the desired curvature.
How do you calculate the the "indentations or curvature" of the earthbag course in order to create the dome? How do you use this stake, string and cord? I have bought the Earth Building Guide and can't seem to find the information I'm looking for. How do you know how much to move the bag inward (indentation) in orde to create the dome.
I'm planning to build in Nicaragua nex year. Thank you for your wanderful work and your guide.
Saludos,
That Instructable and the full length article in Mother Earth News explains everything in detail. The answer is to use a 2nd string-line to guide the dome curvature. The first string-line at the center point keeps the dome round.
Eco Beam in South AFRICA have the system of reinforced pine which sorta hold the sandbags in place. Is this an overkill and unnecessary expense.?
Are you familiar with this company.
T0 build a round shape as per your plans on dreamgreenhomes, is coarse sand suitable without any clay content?
In South Afrrica we cannot live without burglar bars. How are these attached to earthbag walls?
Thanks
Use the built-in search engine to find other topics.
You don't need a frame like Eco Beam uses if you have adequate clay in the soil. Their design is for loose sand, which is not stable without a frame.
18" wide bags are more stable than 14" wide bags.
Roundhouses are more stable than straight walls, but still you want to add some clay or other stabilizer (lime, cement, etc.) to strengthen the walls.
Security bars: embed anchors (steel plate, etc.) between bags and attach your bars to the anchors.
Plaster: Talk to professional plasterer's in your area and follow their lead.
Flooring: What type of floor are you building?
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles/ebbuildingguide.htm
The short answer is many different mixes will work. Often the subsoil on or near your site will work. Look up subsoil. It's the layer of clay and aggregates below the topsoil. It's low value and can often be obtained from excavators working nearby for very low cost. You want enough clay to bind the aggregates together. Make at least one test bag and see if it dries really hard. (Be sure to tamp it a lot.)
Further, for internal walls (mostly) how would you approach a 'panelling solution' so that panels/shelves/ fixtures/ cabinets can be hung on the walls without piercing the bags?
thanks!
Dennis
Almost no one uses earthbags for interior walls because they take up too much space. Low cost solutions include straw/clay between wood studs, CEBs, wattle and daub, bamboo, etc.
It's very easy to embed wood blocks between courses of bags for hanging things in the same way as adobe houses. Some call these nailers, some call them gringo blocks.
I was wondering about doors and windows on these buildings, how are these installed?
Also the roof and flooring, how have you done these?
Is it possible to have electricity and plumbing in a earthbag home?
Thank you
Living in Norway by the way...
You want at least 10" of insulation on the outside.