For more great shots of this project, and many others, please refer to Architect/ Assistant Dean for External Affairs at TTU COA, Darrick Wade, AIA, and his channel: ruclips.net/channel/UC6nZgrnPhc4jGlhRU5uZyww If you like this content, please leave a like / comment. Questions in the comments will be answered as soon as possible. After personally graduating and going into the workforce, the direction of this channel is currently unclear. However, I do typically take on projects that are informative/interesting and often uncommon, so if that is something that people want to see, then I might choose to devote more time to this channel. PS. Sorry for the wind in the audio. Texas gets windy.
It is possible the corner which displayed weakness was due to either a possible dry spot, or could be inadequate compression. The rammed earth wall should not display cracks or chips once the form is removed.
Compressed blocks are definitely a great way to speed up testing! We had a budget going into this that prevented us from spending too much too early. Still, we did manage to run more than 30 test cores manually, and I think that doing it by hand really helped us with learning the ques for a mixture that was ready for compression. Good advice!
I really want this building method to work. I think the blocks are going to have to be radiused in the corners to minimize the crumbling we see. I expect the radius of the corners will need to be larger than the radius of the tamper for proper compression.
G'day This a very informative video thank you. There is a product that would improve your results dramatically, it is a powder admix, added at 2% of the amount of cement will average ~ 8 to 10 mpa, creates water proof soil, used in road and runways construction
Hey guys ... what ratio of sealer did you use? and can you post a link to a jpeg of your test cylinders .. would be nice to see your results for reference thanks for sharing your video
Several! Here is brief rundown of our sources: "Rammed Earth Construction - The complete step by step guide" by Tim Krahn, P. Eng. Forward by Meror Krayonhoff "Modern Earth Buildings - Materials, Engineering, Construction, and applications" Edited by Mathew R. Hall, Rick Lindsay and Meror Krayenhoff www.dustdb.com - DUST architectural design studio for inspiration "Rammed Earth Thermodynamics" by M. Krayenhoff, SIREWALL Inc. "Rammed Earth in a Concrete World" by M. Krayenhoff, SIREWALL Inc. sirewall.com - These guys are basically the pioneers of modern rammed earth construction. We actually were fortunate enough to interview them and they knew all of the data on granule sizes, moisture content, construction processes, and why rammed earth works. "Soil Survey of Lubbock County Texas" by United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov - used this site for gathering mapping GIS data "Various Types of Earth Buildings" by Hamed Niroumand, M.F.M Zain, Maslina Jamil available at sciencedirect.com There is also a class you can take in Arizona where you will literally build a rammed earth structure. My partner and I did not personally take that course, but we have heard great things about it and if I find the name I will update you with that here. This should be enough to get someone started. I highly recommend reading the "Rammed Earth Construction..." first, as it offers a very high level of information, but it is not too difficult for most to pick up and understand. If you are looking at doing something rammed-earth related for a big project, I would reach out to SIREWALL, as they are excellent for consulting and they are also equipped to handle large-scale rammed earth construction while meeting all legal requirements depending on your location. Best, Tyler Whitsell
@@tylerwhitsell9766 very well! I'm currently an architecture student and I'm looking forward to use this method in my final project/thesis, I will use the resources you just mentioned, thank you very much! In case of any upcoming questions, can I be in touch with you by any email addresses? Many thanks.
@@mohsenashouri7533 Good to hear! Architecture is very difficult but it sounds like you're near the end of the school part. For now you can direct message my instagram @tylerwhitsell and there I can set you up with more info. Otherwise... I will 100% recommend that if you do this for a project, make sure that you first know someone who will fund the build, and it is also very helpful to have access to a pickup truck and several locations with access to non-organic soil, preferably at locations where you know the land owners. Also, for small test cylinders, you will likely need to acquire these tools: www.certifiedmtp.com/manual-standard-soil-compaction-hammer-12-drop-5-5-lb/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl9GCBhDvARIsAFunhslO-hqUMIEkK1CYhN7AVkn6gBKUdQFYe_5Zkm4aT4H7qXtLg4JEh68aAlbJEALw_wcB You do not have to spend on every tool to do this if you have building materials you can fashion your own test molds. Keep in mind that rammed earth typically works under several hundred to thousand psi, so it needs to be a reinforced mold capable of withstanding those forces. One last thing, be sure to use cooking oil or some kind of lubricant on the mold, otherwise the rammed core samples will definitely get stuck inside of the cylinder.
Hello! At this time, this video is our documentation. We had originally set out to write up our findings in a report, but as the project took up more time than we anticipated, we decided to do a video instead. Feel free to site this video for your studies, but you should also look into the sources that we used in my reply to Mohsen Ashouri in the comments below. Hope that helps!
Interesting and informative video...but you should probably know the sound quality of this video (especially the volume difference between talking, the wind, and the music) made this almost unwatchable.
Actually, we did do a test cylinder with fly ash. It made the cylinder incredibly light weight! But it also grayed out the color dramatically and was less desirable for the client.
Is the clay you chose expansive? How will it react to water? If you don't have a cement binder, how will you deal with freeze thaw? This project seems unusable for any environment that gets water on a regular basis.
Hi Devin, the application for this type of product is compatible with wet, dry and humid weather. The way it is applied is different from one such environment to another. You will find earthen homes and various structures ALL over the world and it is very durable.
Exactly. Use the sool you have around you, but test it in water to determine how much clay is present. For us, we ained for roughly 15% clay content. You also want to have a good mixture of different granule sizes. A good amount of the really tiny granules is important to fill in the gaps during compression. Yhe dirt we used is a samdy loam common to cotton farming fields of the southwest US. There was also a small amount of granite added as an aggregate (not necessary), as well as cement to stabilize, and sealant for weatherproofing. Overall, the most pricy components were the machines used for tamping, and then the formwork, as the soil was donated from a friend.
We have shale. When people have tried to put shale into concrete, even small pieces. the shale sheers. So, I'm thinking this shale, is not really good for anything but bricks, where the shale is fired.
Only problem with shale is that it might have too much clay content. We found that in our studies, having too much clay resulted in shear issues, but too little would result in too brittle material. Goal is 20% and to have a mixture consisting of multiple granule sized to fill in the space and limit air pockets as much as possible. you can probably dilute the shale with another fine loam, just gotta play around and test a lot until you find the right mix.
We had two 1/4" rebar stirrups mounted vertically through the top capping and bottom slab, sandwiching the rammed earth between the concrete above and below.
Solid point! We did do a core test with fly-ash which turned out way lighter but overall more brittle. It ultimately comes down to finding the right mix of granule sizes. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to use the engineering department's pneumatic press to stress test cylinders.
That's awesome! If you have questions about finishes, I would recommend reading some of our source material. I sent our sources in a reply to Mohsen Ashouri further down in the chat. Feel free to give those sources a browse. I recommend starting with "Rammed Earth Construction - a Complete Step by Step Guide", which is a great source for detailed questions.
That's awesome! Contact professor Darrick Wade at TTU College of Architecture. He may have students that would be looking to continue this kind of work. If you want a real contractor with experience in this construction type, I highly recommend contacting SIREWALL. They helped us out a lot and given that they basically invented stabilized rammed earth, they definitely know what they're doing!
Mankind has been around for awhile. We still have not found good solutions for buildings. lol. clearly, these stick framed houses of today, with vinal siding, are horrible solutions, that require too much energy to heat and cool. Perhaps the solution, is to use stucco on the rammed earth (lol), to protect the exterior. But the real problem with a home made of dirt is taxation. They are afraid you will not pay enough in taxes.
My thoughts exactly on the design side as far as the modern construction processes we use. Hard to tax dirt but I'm sure they'll find a way one day if not already.
For more great shots of this project, and many others, please refer to Architect/ Assistant Dean for External Affairs at TTU COA, Darrick Wade, AIA, and his channel: ruclips.net/channel/UC6nZgrnPhc4jGlhRU5uZyww
If you like this content, please leave a like / comment. Questions in the comments will be answered as soon as possible. After personally graduating and going into the workforce, the direction of this channel is currently unclear. However, I do typically take on projects that are informative/interesting and often uncommon, so if that is something that people want to see, then I might choose to devote more time to this channel.
PS. Sorry for the wind in the audio. Texas gets windy.
You save the world man! Thank you
Thanks for the super detailed explanation of your experiences and thoughts whilst testing!
Would reinforced earth techniques add anything to rammed earth? Adding mesh or fabric to more or less make a laminate?
It is possible the corner which displayed weakness was due to either a possible dry spot, or could be inadequate compression. The rammed earth wall should not display cracks or chips once the form is removed.
Working with a Hydraform M7 compressed earth block machine...it is quite easy to do the test blocks for different admixtures. Great video~!
Compressed blocks are definitely a great way to speed up testing! We had a budget going into this that prevented us from spending too much too early. Still, we did manage to run more than 30 test cores manually, and I think that doing it by hand really helped us with learning the ques for a mixture that was ready for compression. Good advice!
Thanks for sharing your findings!
One of the most informative rammed earth videos on youtube. Great work guys!
Very knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing.
I really want this building method to work. I think the blocks are going to have to be radiused in the corners to minimize the crumbling we see. I expect the radius of the corners will need to be larger than the radius of the tamper for proper compression.
Thanks for sharing this.
G'day
This a very informative video thank you.
There is a product that would improve your results dramatically, it is a powder admix, added at 2% of the amount of cement will average ~ 8 to 10 mpa, creates water proof soil, used in road and runways construction
Is there any chance the circular shape of the pneumatic tamping plate led to inadequate compression in the corners?
As an option: have you thought about limestone dust?
A like as soon as I heard the music
Hey guys ... what ratio of sealer did you use? and can you post a link to a jpeg of your test cylinders .. would be nice to see your results for reference thanks for sharing your video
awsome you guys! Are there any articles available for your project? to refer to or share
Several!
Here is brief rundown of our sources:
"Rammed Earth Construction - The complete step by step guide" by Tim Krahn, P. Eng. Forward by Meror Krayonhoff
"Modern Earth Buildings - Materials, Engineering, Construction, and applications" Edited by Mathew R. Hall, Rick Lindsay and Meror Krayenhoff
www.dustdb.com - DUST architectural design studio for inspiration
"Rammed Earth Thermodynamics" by M. Krayenhoff, SIREWALL Inc.
"Rammed Earth in a Concrete World" by M. Krayenhoff, SIREWALL Inc.
sirewall.com - These guys are basically the pioneers of modern rammed earth construction. We actually were fortunate enough to interview them and they knew all of the data on granule sizes, moisture content, construction processes, and why rammed earth works.
"Soil Survey of Lubbock County Texas" by United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov - used this site for gathering mapping GIS data
"Various Types of Earth Buildings" by Hamed Niroumand, M.F.M Zain, Maslina Jamil available at sciencedirect.com
There is also a class you can take in Arizona where you will literally build a rammed earth structure. My partner and I did not personally take that course, but we have heard great things about it and if I find the name I will update you with that here.
This should be enough to get someone started. I highly recommend reading the "Rammed Earth Construction..." first, as it offers a very high level of information, but it is not too difficult for most to pick up and understand. If you are looking at doing something rammed-earth related for a big project, I would reach out to SIREWALL, as they are excellent for consulting and they are also equipped to handle large-scale rammed earth construction while meeting all legal requirements depending on your location.
Best,
Tyler Whitsell
@@tylerwhitsell9766 very well! I'm currently an architecture student and I'm looking forward to use this method in my final project/thesis, I will use the resources you just mentioned, thank you very much!
In case of any upcoming questions, can I be in touch with you by any email addresses?
Many thanks.
@@mohsenashouri7533 Good to hear! Architecture is very difficult but it sounds like you're near the end of the school part. For now you can direct message my instagram @tylerwhitsell and there I can set you up with more info.
Otherwise...
I will 100% recommend that if you do this for a project, make sure that you first know someone who will fund the build, and it is also very helpful to have access to a pickup truck and several locations with access to non-organic soil, preferably at locations where you know the land owners.
Also, for small test cylinders, you will likely need to acquire these tools: www.certifiedmtp.com/manual-standard-soil-compaction-hammer-12-drop-5-5-lb/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl9GCBhDvARIsAFunhslO-hqUMIEkK1CYhN7AVkn6gBKUdQFYe_5Zkm4aT4H7qXtLg4JEh68aAlbJEALw_wcB
You do not have to spend on every tool to do this if you have building materials you can fashion your own test molds. Keep in mind that rammed earth typically works under several hundred to thousand psi, so it needs to be a reinforced mold capable of withstanding those forces.
One last thing, be sure to use cooking oil or some kind of lubricant on the mold, otherwise the rammed core samples will definitely get stuck inside of the cylinder.
Great video, really useful for me too as I'm looking to make one of these here in the UK. thanks for the upload 👍
So you decided to put rebar for shear forces? Why didn’t Moroccan homes need rebar support hundreds of years ago?
Hi, I'm a master's student in Hungary I really like this research, do you have a presentation or article to rely on for my research? Thanks :)
Hello! At this time, this video is our documentation. We had originally set out to write up our findings in a report, but as the project took up more time than we anticipated, we decided to do a video instead. Feel free to site this video for your studies, but you should also look into the sources that we used in my reply to Mohsen Ashouri in the comments below. Hope that helps!
@@tylerwhitsell9766 thank you so much I will follow up the comments 🙏
Interesting and informative video...but you should probably know the sound quality of this video (especially the volume difference between talking, the wind, and the music) made this almost unwatchable.
I appreciate the input.
Try cutting with fly ash as we do with concrete might help make a stronger bond
Before I get bashed I really would love to see this take place of concrete but it has to hold up to the test of time and Nature
Actually, we did do a test cylinder with fly ash. It made the cylinder incredibly light weight! But it also grayed out the color dramatically and was less desirable for the client.
Is the clay you chose expansive? How will it react to water? If you don't have a cement binder, how will you deal with freeze thaw? This project seems unusable for any environment that gets water on a regular basis.
Hi Devin, the application for this type of product is compatible with wet, dry and humid weather. The way it is applied is different from one such environment to another.
You will find earthen homes and various structures ALL over the world and it is very durable.
Exactly. Use the sool you have around you, but test it in water to determine how much clay is present. For us, we ained for roughly 15% clay content. You also want to have a good mixture of different granule sizes. A good amount of the really tiny granules is important to fill in the gaps during compression. Yhe dirt we used is a samdy loam common to cotton farming fields of the southwest US. There was also a small amount of granite added as an aggregate (not necessary), as well as cement to stabilize, and sealant for weatherproofing. Overall, the most pricy components were the machines used for tamping, and then the formwork, as the soil was donated from a friend.
We have shale. When people have tried to put shale into concrete, even small pieces. the shale sheers. So, I'm thinking this shale, is not really good for anything but bricks, where the shale is fired.
Only problem with shale is that it might have too much clay content. We found that in our studies, having too much clay resulted in shear issues, but too little would result in too brittle material. Goal is 20% and to have a mixture consisting of multiple granule sized to fill in the space and limit air pockets as much as possible. you can probably dilute the shale with another fine loam, just gotta play around and test a lot until you find the right mix.
Have you tried Martian regolith ?
Do you build the rammed earth wall on a concrete slab?
Yes, I think the slab on grade was roughly 3-4 inches or so and it was steel-reinforced (rebar)
We had two 1/4" rebar stirrups mounted vertically through the top capping and bottom slab, sandwiching the rammed earth between the concrete above and below.
@@tylerwhitsell9766 So really solid. Good idea. Flexible technique.
great what you did
nevertheless you can still check the durability by additive tests
Solid point! We did do a core test with fly-ash which turned out way lighter but overall more brittle. It ultimately comes down to finding the right mix of granule sizes. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to use the engineering department's pneumatic press to stress test cylinders.
Sealer ‘in’ this or ‘on’ this?
In. Definitely in. The sealer is an additive.
I started studying rammed earth and I want more information and details about the finishing work if possible
I made a stereoscopic of rammed earth and gave me good strength results
That's awesome! If you have questions about finishes, I would recommend reading some of our source material. I sent our sources in a reply to Mohsen Ashouri further down in the chat. Feel free to give those sources a browse. I recommend starting with "Rammed Earth Construction - a Complete Step by Step Guide", which is a great source for detailed questions.
@@tylerwhitsell9766 plz will you let me know that how to make rammed earth material or whole process
Hey! I'm planning on building a rammed earth home in Ransom Canyon! I'll have to invite y'all out!
That's awesome! Contact professor Darrick Wade at TTU College of Architecture. He may have students that would be looking to continue this kind of work. If you want a real contractor with experience in this construction type, I highly recommend contacting SIREWALL. They helped us out a lot and given that they basically invented stabilized rammed earth, they definitely know what they're doing!
Use limestone, earth or sand with water and plaster it.
It's a fail the cracking in the corn will wear and fall apart low concert and bonding Agents is a problem
Somebody have any experience
Build ocean front?
Contact SIREWALL
Too bad I can't hear this.
Mankind has been around for awhile. We still have not found good solutions for buildings. lol. clearly, these stick framed houses of today, with vinal siding, are horrible solutions, that require too much energy to heat and cool. Perhaps the solution, is to use stucco on the rammed earth (lol), to protect the exterior. But the real problem with a home made of dirt is taxation. They are afraid you will not pay enough in taxes.
My thoughts exactly on the design side as far as the modern construction processes we use. Hard to tax dirt but I'm sure they'll find a way one day if not already.