Author: Morris Cotgrave Betts

Author(s): USDA Farmers’ Bulletin

Publisher: USDA

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Rammed Earth Walls for Buildings- 1926 :Farmers’ Bulletin #1500, USDA, 26 page 5″x7″

This is the great 1926 edition with photos, drawings and complete low tech construction information on rammed earth. The US Government produced this booklet as part of a series, to show farmers and poor rural folks how to build a house from earth (pise’ de terre). Praises rammed earth over cob for ease of construction. The building information, tools and formworks description needed for manual wall building are ideal for anyone wanting to learn this method. 26 pages, xerographic, b&w photos of houses and tools, formworks, plus sketches throughout. A very thorough little guide!

Booklet is B&W only.

Author: Ralph L. Patty

Publisher: South Dakota State College

Unknown Binding: 67 pages

ASIN: B00087ZENS

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Rammed Earth Walls for Farm Buildings-1933, Bulletin 277 South Dakota State College. 67 pages, xerographic.

This book extensively explores the soils and methods used for successful RE construction.

Covers many plaster and finishing tests, with recommendations for lime, asphalt, cement “cream” and linseed oil. Provides charts on aggregates % in soil for best compression, and other useful construction information from footings to roof. The Ag. Dept. built an experimental poultry house and recorded all experiments thoroughly to inform others on successful RE building. This booklet refers to #2012 Rammed Earth Walls, shown on the Adobe page, and to Ellington’s “Modern Pise Buildings” from 1923. The photos are very grainy due to document age, but the text information is most valuable for anyone wanting to avoid problems during manual rammed earth building. 67 pages, booklet, xerographic, b/w photos and drawings.

Author(s): Julian Keable

Publisher: Intermediate Technology

ISBN: 1853393509

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Rammed Earth Structures : A Code of Practice Paperback Publication date: May 1996

Written by Julian Keable.

The book gets right to the “how to” of testing earth for construction of rammed earth (pise’) houses or walls. Well written, and good for beginners interested in all type os earth construciton, including cob and adobe, Details low tech and non-mechanical methodss for DIY builders; no expensive pneumatic tampers are used. Covers rising damp, protecting walls from water, soils, and many soil tests, site selection, winds, formworks, guides for design of forms, addresses termite prevention (less a problem in the US than in Aftica) and shows how to make a layered earthen floor with simple tools.

Simple, easy to follow with good drawings and instruction. Printed in the UK, Some Color pages, color cover, with B&W photos. 128 pages, 8.5 x 11.

Ramming earth has been a method of construction for centuries in various parts of the world. This technique can produce buildings that are strong, durable safe and desirable, and because earth is an abundant and cheap resources, rammed earth buildings are often very economical. To achieve the best results the right techniques for selection and testing of soils must be used to protect walls from water damage and shrinkage. This book aims to show how high standards can be achieved and the criteria on which rammed earth structures and building techniques can be judged.

Author(s): David Easton

Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub

Paperback: 306 pages

ISBN: 0930031792

ISBN-13: 978-0930031794

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How-To Editor’s Recommended Book, 10/01/96:
The beauty and grace of rammed earth construction is described in fascinating detail by David Easton. The photographs of different structures, both modern and ancient, by Cynthia Wright, create a breathtaking glimpse into a building technique that is as old as human history, but exactly suitable for today’s resource-conscious and environmentally friendly building needs. Trees may be getting a bit scarce these days, but there’s no current shortage of dirt, the main component of rammed earth homes. From such a prosaic material, gold has been spun in these timeless, graceful, and nearly indestructible homes and buildings. Card catalog description The Rammed Earth House is an eye-opening example of how the most dramatic innovations in home design and construction frequently have their origins in the distant past. By rediscovering the most ancient of all building materials – earth – forward thinking home builders can now create structures that set new standards for beauty, durability, and efficient use of natural resources. Rammed earth construction is a step forward into a sustainable future, when homes will combine pleasing aesthetics and intense practicality with a powerful sense of place. Rammed earth homes are built entirely on-site, using basic elements – earth, water, and a little cement. The solid masonry walls permit design flexibility while providing year-round comfort and minimal use of energy. The builder and resident of a rammed earth house will experience the deep satisfaction of creating permanence in a world dominated by the disposable.

Customer Comments

mmegias@telcel.net.ve , 02/24/97, rating=8:
Excellent, lacks some detail on construction. In Venezuela, South America, there is some interest in reviving an old method of construction, called tapial in spanish (rammed earth). Many old building remain in South America from the time of the spaniards. The book illustrates how a modern engineer, David Easton, in California, has taken over the problem of building with rammed earth in country where there is very little tradition, hence know how, on building with rammed earth. The book lacks detail on the rammed earth system employed by the authors. More drawings and pictures would be very useful to translate modern technology to underdevelopped countries. Best regards, Miguel A. Megias, Professor of Engineering Universidad de Carabobo Valencia, Venezuela e-mail mmegias@telcel.net.ve

Table of Contents
Ch. 1. The Evolution of Earthbuilding
Ch. 2. The Point of Beginning
Ch. 3. The Architectural Plan
Ch. 4. In Preparation for Building
Ch. 5. Foundations
Ch. 6. The Essential Soil
Ch. 7. The Art of Formbuilding
Ch. 8. Soil Preparation and Compaction
Ch. 9. Doors, Windows, Niches, and Nooks
Ch. 10. Bond Beams and Other Connections
Ch. 11. After the Wall
Ch. 12. The House in the Garden
Builders’ Resources: A. A Photographic Step-by-Step
Builders’ Resources: B. A Sample Home Design Program
Builders’ Resources: C. How to Identify Soils
Builders’ Resources: D. Restoring the Chew Kee Store
Builders’ Resources: E. Structural Engineering Design
Bibliography
Index