EDDT 231 Rammed Earth Construction in Kamloops: Outline

Monday, March 10, 2008

Outline

Project: Is Rammed Earth housing suitable for Kamloops?

Method: To find information on Rammed Earth buildings and seeing if it can meet the requirements of Kamloops.

1. Kamloops Requirements: Look in the BC Building Code to find minimum requirements for houses. These requirements will include things like: insulation, weather proofing, Degree Days.
2. Soil: Find out if the soil in Kamloops is able to make rammed earth housing. If not, then where is the closest area to take soil from? Research the cost of soil if not able to take from the lot.
3. Rammed Earth: Research the advantages and disadvantages of rammed earth construction. Also rammed earth houses that are built in Canada.
4. Apply: Apply research to a design.

Special Problem: How will the soil hold up to the heat in the summer and the freezing weather in the winter?

Also:
· How long to construct a rammed earth house?
· What costs are involved in building a rammed earth house?
· How will the house look compared to typical houses in Kamloops?
· What equipment is required to make the house?
· How long will it last?
· How energy efficient is rammed earth?
· How does it stand-up to natural disasters?

19 comments:

Jeremy Jones said...: realhard haha jk buddy.
I found this book on the interent its about sustainable strategies for architecture. chapter 14. is about rammed earth. http://books.google.ca/books?id=9MpeC68ttbgC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=rammed+earth+construction&source=web&ots=l74fp6jWnK&sig=KQOBIrKIV2bcnU0V8cwn0u1sgBw&hl=en#PPA165,M1; March 13, 2008 at 9:30 PM
Morgan Turland said...: I found this book which could be useful (also it's on sale!)

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Adobe-Rammed-Earth-Buildings-Design-Paul-Graham-Mchenry/9780816511242-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527rammed+house%2527

Also there is a company in BC which focuses on Rammed earth construction:

http://www.rammedearth.ca/

I also found several articles on rammed earth construction on the ASCE research library - might want to take a look there if you want more academic sources.; March 13, 2008 at 11:42 PM
Natashia Lockhart said...: You should check out this website, it may be helpful for your research and give you contact numbers to ask questions.

http://www.georgiaadobe.com; March 20, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Dale Parkes said...: Stantec's Kamloops office is designing a winery in Abbotsford that incorporates rammed earth. You could contact the architect, Brian Christianson to see what kind of information he could offer you.
brian.christianson@stantec.com
Be clear on your blog about what you are going to apply this research to.; March 22, 2008 at 11:57 AM
BrianV8 said...: Hey man check this out, rammed earth house, kinda cool

http://www.sustainablebuildingcentre.com/learn/rammed_earth_healthy_home; March 24, 2008 at 9:43 PM
Cari said...: Hey i found this other blog on rammed earth.You should check it out there is a bunch of links to other sites as well as links to articles and papers on rammed earth on this blog.

http://rammedearth.blogspot.com/; March 29, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Dale Parkes said...: I was talking to another local architect, Kevin Ryan, last week about rammed earth construction and he was telling me that the method that he uses to build rammed earth buildings in Mexico involves making rammed earth bricks. This way you do not need formwork. He will be coming in for a guest lecture on April 11th if you would like to speak with him.; March 31, 2008 at 9:10 AM
Kevin O. said...: I found a book about earth construction in the library:

TH 1421 .M556 2006
Building with earth : design and technology of a sustainable architecture
Minke, Gernot.

Hopefully it helps; March 31, 2008 at 1:50 PM
BrianV8 said...: This is some bad ass stuff
check her out. BIG help
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=CD47423&event=1002CAT%7C1461006%7C1002; April 1, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Shevaun O'Connor said...: Hi Dustin
check out Mother Earth News.com and type in Rammed Earth in the search bar. They have been around for about forty years and have been talking baout rammed earth since the beginning. They have interesting info/articles/plans as well as information on books you can buy through them.; April 1, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Dale Parkes said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; April 1, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Dale Parkes said...: Very funny Brain.; April 2, 2008 at 8:21 AM
Justin Hilditch said...: i found a site about rammed earth houses that you may find useful. tons of pictures and descriptions of a rammed earth house that was recently built http://rammedearth.davis.net.au/index.php
there are also link and pictures of other rammed earth buildings; April 2, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Cari said...: Hey dustin,
I found this reference to a book which talks about rammed earth. It could be useful if you could get your hands on it.

McGregor, Suzi Moore and Nora Burba Trulsson. Living Homes: Sustainable Architecture and Design. San
Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2001. Description and photographs of homes constructed with adobe, rammed earth, straw bale and reinvented, recycled and high-tech materials. Includes bibliography and resources.; April 3, 2008 at 12:05 AM
Walter said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; April 3, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Walter said...: Hey Dustin
I found this book that could possibly be good for what your researching. The name is "The Rammed Earth House" by David Easton I am sure that you can find it on chapters or ebay for a good price.; April 3, 2008 at 6:52 PM
Dustin Remillard said...: Thanks Walter.. kamloops library has it; April 4, 2008 at 2:05 PM
BrianV8 said...: Hey this book show a lot of stuff about buildings that can be constructed using rammed earth. You should definatly check it out. I actually has quite a few applications

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Rammed-Earth-Buildings-Construction/dp/0816511241/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207848553&sr=1-7; April 10, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Kent Henning said...: Hey Remi, found a good article about rammed earth walls you might want to check out.
http://listserv.repp.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org/2007-October/004503.html; April 11, 2008 at 12:08 PM