Roger Whiteway/iStock
DCL
Rammed earth, according to Molly Edmonds at HowStuffWorks.com, starts with "a plywood structure that provides the outline of a wall … already in place." From there: "A cross-grade, or mix, of soils is rammed into the walls, either by hand or machine. When everything is packed tightly, the forms are removed, and what's left is a solid, stable wall. Builders ram and repeat until the entire house is built."
Rammed earth basically works like the formwork of pouring a concrete wall," says Linda Kiisk, associate director of facilities planning at the University of Wyoming. "But instead of concrete, you are using soil from the site. The material is tamped down. This can be done with sledgehammers by hand or with a pneumatic device. Then you pull the forms off, and you have a stable wall."
"This method of building has a long history," adds Edmonds. "Parts of the Great Wall of China were constructed using the technique and are still standing more than 2,000 years later. Examples of rammed earth buildings are all over Europe. French and German immigrants brought this style of building with them to the United States, and now churches, homes and other buildings made from rammed earth can be found from New York to Florida." Find some rammed earth video workshops here.
Whether it's DIY green renovation tips you're looking for or 5 ways to reuse nearly everything you can think of, learn how with Planet Green Home & Garden.
