Description
Book SynopsisBuild economical and resilient earthbag structures using simple tools and techniques.
Earthbag construction- building with polypropylene bags usually filled with earthen materials- is a versatile, easy-to-master, low-impact, and highly durable form of building, suitable for structures from houses to root cellars.
Containing over 75 photos and illustrations, Essential Earthbag Construction is a practical guide to this affordable method of building. Going well beyond the scope of other sources, this indispensable manual is packed with all the information you need to determine if it''s the right choice for your project, and to start building. Distilling decades of experience, research, and best practices, it covers:
- Material specifications, performance, and when and where to use it
- Pros and cons of different fills from gravel, to earth and clay, to insulative perlite, rice hulls, and volcanic stone
- Illustrated, step-by
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Earthbag Building
Chapter 2: Appropriate Uses for Earthbags
Chapter 3: Building Science Notes
Chapter 4: Material Specifications
Bags
Fill materia
Barbed wire and other types of reinforcement
Plaster
Chapter 5: Tools
Chapter 6: Foundations
Chapter 7: Building Walls
Locate source of fill material
Filling bags
Placing barbed wire and twine
Laying bags in a pattern
Closing the top of the bag
Using a metal slider
Tamping the bags
Placing vertical reinforcement rods
Building domes
Chapter 8: Design Considerations and Constraints
Vertical walls
Domes
Vaults
Buttresses
Bond beams
Door and window openings
Door and window bucks
Arches and other shapes
Spacing openings
Vertical reinforcement for openings
Lintels
Wall thickness
More than one story
Below-grade construction
Chapter 9: Plastering the Walls
Chapter 10: Floor and Roof Options
Slab on grade
Masonry floors
Adobe floors
Suspended floors
Roofs
Chapter 11: How to Include Utilities
Plumbing
Electrical
Heating
Ventilation
Cabinetry
Chapter 12: Strategies for Seismic Reinforcement
Chapter 13: General Budgeting Information
Chapter 14: Maintenance and Renovation
Chapter 15: Building Codes
Chapter 16: Other Uses for Earthbags
Retaining walls
Cisterns
Dams
Root cellars and pantries
Sculpture and art
Resources
Author's websites
Other websites
Books
DVDs
Workshops
Bag supplies online
Index
About the Author
A Note About the Publisher
