4.17

Rammed Earth Houses: Alternatives to Concrete and Cement Construction

In this step, we’ll look at how rammed earth – a compressed mix of dirt, sand, gravel, and more (depending on local soil) – can be used to build durable and sustainable houses.

Rammed earth construction offers numerous environmental and performance benefits over conventional materials like concrete and cement, which is a major contributor to global CO2 emissions.

The environmental and economic advantages include:

Low Embodied Energy: Rammed earth uses local, unbaked soil, unlike energy-intensive cement. This significantly reduces the structure’s embodied energy and carbon footprint, especially when using on-site soil.
Resource Efficiency: Materials are often locally sourced, minimizing transportation costs. The walls are also fully recyclable at the end of the building’s life.
Cost Control: Material costs are minimal due to the use of readily available earth, contributing to potential overall construction savings.

Thermal and health performance advantages include:

Exceptional Thermal Mass: Dense walls absorb and store heat, stabilizing indoor temperatures. This natural regulation drastically cuts energy use for heating and cooling.
Natural Air Quality: Walls regulate humidity and are non-toxic. This creates a healthier indoor environment, avoiding condensation, mold, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
Durability and Safety: The dense structure is naturally fireproof, pest-resistant, and highly durable, with a lifespan that can cover centuries.

The following video describes the construction of a Rammed Earth house in Nepal, utilizing local soil, traditional techniques, and low-energy, non-toxic materials.

In the videos ‘Building with Rammed Earth’ here, and ‘Sustainability Can Be Beautiful: Dirt + Pressure = Rammed Earth’ here, you get two more examples of Rammed Earth houses, dealing with both forest fire hazards and hotter to cooler weather.

Further reading, learning and references

Building Renewable – The 11 Pros and Cons of Rammed Earth Construction https://buildingrenewable.com/pros-and-cons-of-rammed-earth-construction/

Ciel Construct – Advantages of Rammed Earth? https://www.cielconstruct.com/faq/advantages-of-rammed-earth

Hive Earth – The Advantages Of Building A Rammed Earth Home https://www.hiveearth.com/post/the-advantages-of-building-a-rammed-earth-home

Exploring Alternatives – BUILDING with RAMMED EARTH – An Impressive & Super Durable Natural Material! https://uppsala.instructuremedia.com/embed/b2cd9b24-2bc6-44f2-9851-50f06ac2dc97

CBC Art – Sustainability Can Be Beautiful: Dirt + Pressure = Rammed Earth https://uppsala.instructuremedia.com/embed/b0feffe9-57de-4ce0-806e-2a729a775df4

Sveriges Arkitekter – Rammed Earth Revival https://www.arkitekt.se/nyhet/rammed-earth-revival/

© Daniel Mossberg, CEMUS, Uppsala University and Sonali Phadke, studio Alternatives and Stephanie Foote