Earthbag Construction
(Page 3 of 5)
October/November 2005
By Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer
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Earthen walls function as an absorbent mass able to store warmth and re-radiate it back into the living space as the mass cools. This temperature fluctuation is known as the “thermal flywheel effect.” The effect of the flywheel is a 12-hour delay in energy transfer from exterior to interior. This means that at the hottest time of the day, the inside of an earthbag structure is at its coolest, while at the coolest time of the day, the interior is at its warmest. This delay is possible only in walls greater than 12 inches thick and can be modified by climate, house orientation, wall color and the placement of windows and doors.
EARTHBAG COSTS AND LIFE CYCLE
In most cases, materials for earthbag construction are inexpensive, abundant and accessible. Grain bags and barbed wire are readily available throughout most of the world for a fraction of the cost of cement, steel and lumber. Dirt can be harvested on site or trucked in for the cost of transportation. Developed countries have the advantage of gravel yards that produce vast quantities of “reject fines” as a byproduct of road building.
Earthbag construction, like straw bale and other earth-building methods, is labor-intensive, and that is where the majority of the “cost” is incurred. The Honey House cost about $1,500 to build. The owners paid to have the dirt and bags delivered to the site. All of the construction was done by the owners and their friends over one summer. Beyond the $1,500 for the building shell, the owners also paid for foundation, plumbing and electrical work.
The simplicity of the earthbag technique lends itself to owner/builder and “sweat-equity” housing endeavors and disaster relief efforts. Properly designed corbelled earthbag domes excel in structural resilience in the face of the most challenging natural disasters. Does it really make sense to replace a tornado-ravaged tract house with another tract house An earthbag dome provides more security than most homeowner insurance policies could offer by building a house that is resistant to fire, rot, termites, earthquakes, hurricanes and flood conditions.
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