Ancient building technique may help future designs to be more eco-friendly

Every child learns early on that moist sand is the key to building a sturdy sandcastle. Now researchers at Durham University have studied this principle so it can be better applied to an ancient eco-friendly building technique of using rammed earth.

Rammed earth is a manufactured building material made up of sand, gravel and clay, which are moistened and compacted between two forms – or molds – where the mixture is allowed to set as a wall.

It was developed in ancient China about 2,000 BC, but it has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity as a sustainable building method in recent years, as it reduces the need for lumber and the forms holding the rammed earth in place can be reused.

The researchers, led by experts at Durham's School of Engineering found that the strength of rammed earth was heavily dependent on its water content. They also found that rammed earth walls, in a suitable climate, dried without losing all their water. The small amount of water that remained provided considerable strength over time.

The team believes that further study will help reduce the reliance on cement in building materials, which is responsible for 5 percent of man-made carbon output, and in doing so, cut carbon emissions. The environmental impact of rammed earth is further minimized since rammed earth materials are commonly sourced locally, which means it doesn't need to be transported long distances.

According to the researchers, their work may help the future design of buildings using rammed earth, and as the link between strength and water content becomes clearer, conserve ancient rammed earth buildings by putting methods in place to protect them against too much water entering a structure, which weakens rather than strengthens it.

3D Architecture Visualization Illustration Slovakia, 3D Architecture Visualization Cultural Slovenia , 3D Architecture Visualization Interior Ukraine, 3D Architecture Visualization Exterior Austria, 3D Architecture Visualization Outsource Belgium, 3D Architectural Visualization Channel Islands , 3D Architectural Visualizations Denmark , 3D Architecture Visualization Finland , 3D Architecture Visualizations France, 3D Architecture Visualization Villa Germany, 3D Architecture Visualization Bungalow Iceland , 3D Architecture Visualization Apartments Ireland , 3D Architecture Visualization Apartment Italy , 3D Architecture Visualization Temple Luxembourg, 3D Architecture Visualization Walkthrough Malta , 3D Architecture Visualization Designs Netherlands, 3D Architecture Visualization Elevation Norway , 3D Architecture Visualization View Portugal , 3D Architecture Visualization Rendering Spain , 3D Architecture Visualization Modeling Sweden , 3D Architecture Visualization Model Switzerland, 3D Architecture Visualization Animation United Kingdom , 3D Architecture Visualization Drawing Australia , 3D Architecture Visualization Outsource Canada , 3D Architecture Visualization Services Japan , 3D Architecture Visualization Front View New Zealand , 3D Architecture Visualization Factory United States of America , 3D Architecture Visualization House Andorra, 3D Architecture Visualization Garden Antigua and Barbuda, 3D Architecture Visualization Service Bolivia, 3D Architecture Visualization Company Cabo Verde, 3D Architecture Visualization Township Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), 3D Architecture Visualization Flat Fiji, 3D Architecture Visualization Studio Iran, 3D Architecture Visualization Health club Kiribati, 3D Architecture Visualization Warehouse Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos), 3D Architecture Visualization Airport Libya, 3D Architecture Visualization Smart City Liechtenstein, 3D Architecture Visualization Rendering Services Macedonia, 3D Architecture Visualization Illustration Marshall Islands, 3D Architecture Visualization Cultural Micronesia (Federated States of), 3D Architecture Visualization Interior Monaco, 3D Architecture Visualization Exterior Mongolia, 3D Architecture Visualization Outsource Nauru, 3D Architectural Visualization Palau, 3D Architectural Visualizations Papua New Guinea, 3D Architecture Visualization Republic of Korea (South Korea), 3D Architecture Visualizations Saint Kitts and Nevis, 3D Architecture Visualization Villa Samoa, 3D Architecture Visualization Bungalow San Marino

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: