Rammed Earth: Construction Lessons from Experience
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 18, Issue 3
Abstract
If modern engineers devote careful attention to the environment of a project and study historical building techniques they can create more sustainable structures. Rammed-earth construction creates a thermal mass structure that cools the interior space during hot, dry summers and absorbs heat during cold winters. It is a historic building method dating back over 2,000 years, and the techniques of native practitioners offer suggestions as to how modern engineers can successfully apply the method.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors extend their appreciation to the National Science Foundation for its funding of the Learning from the Ancient Engineers of the Great Inka Road project. We are also indebted to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian for bringing together its experts and hosting meetings. The Universidad de Piura, Piura, Peru, also provided critical support to the field researchers.
References
Blondet, M., Garcia, M., Gladys, V., and Brzev, S. (2003). “Earthquake-resistant construction of adobe buildings: A tutorial.” EERI/IAEE World Housing Encyclopedia, Oakland, CA.
Blondet, M., Vargas, J., and Tarque, N. (2008). “Observed behaviour of earthen structures during the Pisco (Perú) earthquake of August 15, 2007.” Proc., 14th World Conf. on Earthquake Engineering, Seismological Press of China, Beijing.
British Standards Institute (BSI). (1990). “Compaction, part 4.” Soils for civil engineering purposes, BS 1377-4, London.
Carbajal, F., Ruiz, G., and Schexnayder, C. J. (2005). “Quincha construction in Perú.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr., 10(1), 56–62.
“Earthen material structures.” (1997). Appendix chapter 71, 1997 Uniform Administrative code amendment for earthen material and straw bale structures, Tucson/Pima County, AZ.
Easton, D. (1996). The rammed earth house, Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT.
Hall, M., and Djerbib, Y. (2004). “A rammed earth sample production: Context, recommendations and consistency.” Construction and building materials, Vol. 18, Elsevier, The Netherlands, 281–286.
Jaquin, P. A. (2008). “Development and spread of the rammed earth technique.” Historic rammed earth, 〈http://www.historicrammedearth.co.uk/Lehm_2008.jpg〉 (Jul. 8, 2012).
Jaquin, P. A., Augarde, C. E., and Gerrard, C. M. (2004). “Analysis of tapial structures for modern use and conservation.” Structural analysis of historic constructions, CRC Press/Balkema, Leiden, The Netherlands.
McHenry, P. G., Jr. (1984). Adobe and rammed earth buildings: Design and construction, Wiley, New York.
Meli, R., Hernandez, O., and Padilla, M. (1980). “Strengthening of adobe houses for seismic actions.” Proc., 7th World Conf. on Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 4, Turkish National Committee on Earthquake Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey, 465–472.
Regulation and Licensing Department for the State of New Mexico. (2009). New Mexico earthen building materials code, Construction Industries Division, Albuquerque, NM.
Standards New Zealand. (1998). “Materials and workmanship for earth buildings––Incorporating amendment No. 1.” NZS 4298, Wellington, New Zealand.
Tolles, E. L., Kimbro, E. E., and Ginell, W. S. (2002). Guías de planeamiento e ingeniería para la estabilización sismoresistente de estructuras históricas de adobe, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles. 〈www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/seismic_retrofitting_esp.pdf〉 (Aug. 30, 2012) (in Spanish).
Walker, P. (1999). “Bond characteristics of earth block masonry.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 11(3), 249–256.
Webster, F. A. (2009). “Application of stability-based retrofit measures on some historic and older adobe buildings in California.” Proc., Getty Seismic Adobe Project 2006 Colloquium, M. Hardy, C. Cancino, and G. Ostergren, eds., The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 147–158.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 18 • Issue 3 • August 2013
Pages: 149 - 154
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 18, 2012
Accepted: Oct 23, 2012
Published online: Oct 25, 2012
Published in print: Aug 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.