to emphasis the importance of earth architecture in building industry and contemporary scenario

1. EARTH ARCHITECTURE
TO EMPHASIS THE IMPORTANCE OF EARTH ARCHITECTURE IN BUILDING INDUSTRY
AND CONTEMPORARY SCENARIO
Submitted by:
Kritika bartwal
III yr
Submitted to:
Iram

2. Aneartharchitectureisabuilding orotherstructuremade
largelyfromsoil.Sincesoilisawidelyavailablematerial, it
hasbeenusedinconstruction sinceprehistoric times.It
maybecombined withothermaterials, compressedor
bakedtoaddstrength.Soilisstillaneconomicalmaterial
impactbothduring andafterconstruction.

3. AIM
Toemphasistheimportance ofeartharchitectureinbuilding
industriesandcontemporaryscenario

4. • To understand ideology of earth materials.
• To study the various earth construction techniques.
•Earth dug out
•Earth cut
•fill in
•Covered earth
•Traditional rammed earth
•Soil identification
• To analyse the contemporary earth architecture in repeat to its
construction.
• To review the possible innovation earth construction methods and
study the minor details that can help improve its use.
• To review the appropriateness of the earth as building material in
present scenario.
OBJECTIVES

5. METHODOLOGY
• Understanding traditional earth construction techniques.
• Gathering secondary data.
• Conducting interviews with experts.
• Identifying problems with the methods construction
techniques and maintenance.
• Doing case studies.
INTRODUCTION :

6. SCOPE AND LIMITATION
There are various aspects of earth architecture, but the focus in
this presentation is to study the earth construction and
innovation in it, advantages and some built examples.

7. NECESSACITY OF RESEARCH ON EARTH CONSTRUCTION
• To get knowledge about material and promote earth
construction.
• To create awareness about earth construction.

8. EARTH CONSTRUCTION AREA OF THE WORLD

9. Ziggurat of Ur-in- khaldea
Taos pueblo, New Mexico
Dejenne Mosque of Mali,
Mopti
Tabo monastery, India
996AD
Ramasseum, Egypt –
1300BC
Fortified city, Draa valley,
Morocco

10. Archaeological site of Mari
Syria
Dakhla oasis, Egypt
Bazaar, Sirdjan, Iran
Great
Wall
of
China
Citadel of bam, Iran, before the
earthquake

11. TRADITIONAL EARTH CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

12. • The earth is dug out to create shelters. In most of cases dwellings
are dug out in soft soils, tuffs, porous lava in areas with hot and dry
climate.
• The horizontal dug out create caves on the side of the hills, which
are accessed by staircase and galleries.
• The vertical dug out are created in areas such as plateaus or
plains. A kind of open courtyard is dug out a few meters deep and
then room are dug out like caves on the side of this courtyard.
Access to the dwelling is done by a staircase, often very steep.
EARTH DUG OUT

13. Tunisia, Matmata
China, Nxiang region
China – plan of dug out dwelling
China, Nxiang region –Han Jia Bao

14. EARTH DUG OUT
• In areas where the soil was cohesive and contained concretions of
carbonates (a natural chemical which give cohesion) the soil was cut
in the shape of blocked and used like bricks or stones. Such examples
are found typically in tropical areas where lateritic soils give a
wonderful building material.
• Lateritic soils can be found in two natural states:
− Soft soils, which will harden when exposed to air due to chemical
reaction of the soil constituent with the air.
− Such soils can be found on the west coast of India, from Kerala to
Goa.
− Hard crust which was long ago in soil form and has already
hardened through the ages. Burkina Faso in Africa and Orissa in
India show wonderful examples of such soil and blocks.

15. Uruguay, Montevideo-sod house
India, panaji- ex palace 16th C.
Burkina Faso, Quarry of Kari
India, Orissa, Near Narangarh-
Cutting petroplinthte by hand
India, Kerala, Near Soranad-
shaping a plinthite block
India, Goa – Basilica Bom Jesus

16. FILLED IN (EARTH BAG CONSTRUCTION)
• This method was developed from the bunkers made by the military.
• The basic construction method began by digging a trench.
• Rows of woven bags (or tubes) are filled with available inorganic
material.
• After the foundation is laid, each successive layer will have one or
more strands of barbed wire placed on top.
• The weight of this earth filled bag pushes down on the barbed wire
strands, locking the bag in place on the row below.
• The most popular type of bag is made of woven polypropylene.
• Humid soil was traditionally poured into wooden lattice works. Thus, it
gave some thermal mass to light structures as well as some acoustic
insulation.

17. USA, California, Col-Earth-Eco-domes Inside view from the dome
Exterior view without plaster USA, California, Cal-Earth-plastering the
Eco-dome

18. INNOVATION IN EARTH CONSTRUCTION
Hourding roofing used in auroville earth institute to create flat earth slabs.
• The hourdi block produced by the Auram press 3000 is used to create
floors and roofs.
• These blocks rest either on reinforced concrete T beams or on
ferrocement channels.
• As these blocks are hollow they create roofs which are more
comfortable under a hot climate.
• The resistance of these blocks is extremely high.
• The series of these blocks is rested on the edges of ferrocement
channels and then earth filling is done to make even surface on top
surface which combines the channels with the blocks.
1. Flat roofs are not possible and so multi-storeys cannot be made:

19. Aurovillle earth institute, hourdi
roofing
Adjusting hourdi blocks in between
ferrocement channels
Vault structure on top of hourdi
roofing
Casting an earth concrete:
1 cement : 2 soil : 3 sand : 4 gravel

20. 2. Aesthetics and insulation:
Pottery for insulation and aesthetics.
• Pottery is a developed craft of kutch. To use clay items for construction
was to find new ways of building methods.
• The clay plates and bowls are used for wall and roof insulation and
pots as visual objects for design.
• The local convex circular clay plates are claded on the external wall for
insulation.
• small holes are made in plates for ventilation and arranged in
different patterns.
• The triangular spaces between them are filled with small mirrors for
the reflection of heat. thus, the entire surface of wall is taken care of
heat insulation.
• Inverted bowls used for ceiling pattern. They also act as lamp fixtures
lighting up the entire ceiling.

23. 3. Wood does not adhere with the earth walls and mostly create
gaps between the wall and the frame of the window:
There is an alternative where pivoted windows re used where there is
no need of wooden frames and so the windows are directly
attached by pivots to the two sides of the walls
4. Flat Earth flooring
• Oxide flooring is used now adays by which various colours flooring
cab be produced from earth techniques.
• Rammed earth flooring with covering of wooden blocks and strips
are also a good solution to achieve flat floors from earth.

24. 5. Vaults and domes of earth masonry requires skilled labours:

25. CONCLUSION
• Earth is one of the most ancient construction materials and is still
proved appropriate and viable in the contemporary construction.
The continued and widespread use earth across the world is
testimony to its success as a building material.
• There is a wide range of structures made out of earth. There are
single storey, multi storey, temporary structure, permanent
structure, monuments and heritage sites. The range lies from toys
dwellings, resorts to institution, places and forts.
• Nowadays there is a wide scope of working with earth materials
because there are various techniques developed and innovated.
There are many alterations and additions done in traditional
methods that improves the earth construction and widen its use.

26. ADVANTAGES
• Cheap compared to other modern materials.
• Locally available and local labour
• No transportation because all the process are on site.
• Lowest embodied energy compared to other materials.
• Passive and active cooling possible.
• Material from adobe construction can be reused and from other
techniques the materials directly can merge with the ground soil
after the structure is collapsed and hence no wastage of the
material.
• Any shape is possible and choice of various techniques is available
for construction and designing.

27. BUILT EXAMPLE
Handmade school- straw bale-adobe and cob

31. Chapel of Reconciliation, Berlin, Germany- Rammed Earth

32. THANK YOU