Rammed Earth Essay

3. WHAT IS RAMMED EARTH

Rammed earth is a method used in the building of structural and partition walls using raw materials of earth, chalk, lime, and gravel. It is an ancient building technology that has seen a revival in recent years as people are looking for more sustainable building materials and natural building methods. Rammed-earth walls are simple to construct, fire-resistant, and resilient to water damage. Traditionally, rammed-earth buildings are found all around the globe, from the temperate and wet regions of Northern Europe to the semi-dry deserts, mountain areas, and the tropics. The compressive strength of rammed earth can be up to 4.3 MPa, which is less than that of a similar thickness of concrete, but more than strong enough

It is easy to work with, and local common people can handle it. Rammed earth is especially useful in humid and hot climates. It is a natural building material that is found in abundance, especially where other building materials such as bricks, stone, or wood are scarce due to affordability or availability. The concept of using rammed earth and improved techniques in order to raise the level of living in the population is a noble idea. This will not only alter the look of population centers, rural as well as urban, but also contribute in solving environmental challenges and problems related to energy and other finite resources. Here are some reasons for using rammed earth as a construction material:

4.1. Energy Consumption

In rammed-earth construction, consumption of fossil fuel is very low, and the source material is naturally abundant throughout the world; whereas in brick construction, fossil energy is consumed during manufacturing process and transportation.

4.2. Environmentally Friendly

Rammed-earth structure is composed of natural elements. Unlike other construction material such as brick, cement, and tiles, rammed-earth construction does not cause carbon, sulfur, or other toxic

It is easily adaptable, and the technology can be transferred easily. On top of that, earthen buildings have the advantage of using local resources and being labor intensive. Therefore, in most cases, they cost less than conventional materials and technologies.

4.5. Housing Demand

There is a huge deficit of affordable housing in urban and rural areas across the world. Limited resources on all fronts make it crucial that the housing solution have to be optimum and efficient in terms of using of all available resources of land and building material.

5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

The goal of this research is to explore the opportunity of employing rammed-earth structure as interior feature. Unlike other conventional materials, the rammed-earth wall will have less carbon footprint and is environmentally sustainable. Another goal is to review the possible innovative earth-construction methods and study the minor details that can help improve its use.

6. RESEARCH QUESTION

How to bring back Earthen Architecture into mainstream architectural practice.

7. RESEARCH