This document discusses various mud construction techniques that have been used for thousands of years. It begins by explaining that mud has been one of the most essential building materials since early humans and that approximately 58% of buildings in India are made of mud bricks. It then provides details on different mud construction methods like stacked earth (COB), rammed earth, adobe, wattle and daub, formed earth (straw clay), earth filled in, compressed earth blocks, extruded earth, and cut earth. For each method, it describes the materials and construction process. It also discusses mud roofs and provides advantages and disadvantages of mud construction.

1. MUD
HOUSING
ACROPOLIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOY AND RESEARCH,
INDORE
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
By:
ANKIT SHAH,
ASST. PROF,
CED

2. Introduction
MUD HAS BEEN THE
MOST ESSENTIAL
BUILDING
MATERIALS SINCE
THE DAWN OF THE
MAN.
APPROXIMATELY
58%OF ALL
BUILDINGS IN INDIA
ARE OF MUD BRICK.
MUD IS A BUILDING
MATERIAL WHICH
HAS ALREADY
BEING TESTED AND
TRIED FOR
THOUSANDS OF
YEARS.
IT IS USED IN
MODERN DAY
CONSTRUCTION
AND THE METHOD
OF USING IT IS VERY
DIFFERENT.
MUD HAS ITS OWN
LIMITATIONS WHICH
CAN BE OVERCOME
BY CERTAIN
TECHNIQUES.
THE MAIN
ADVANTAGE OF
MUD IS WE DO NOT
NEED LOT OF
ENERGY TO
MANUFACTURE IT
UNLIKE OTHER
MATERIALS.
MUD
CONSTRUCTION IS
MAINLY FOUND IN
PLACES WHICH ARE
RELATIVELY DRY
AND HAVE MUD IN
ABUNDANCE.
THE MUD – HOUSE
USES MINIMAL
ENERGY, IS
COMFORTABLE
YEAR ROUND.

3. • The mud – house construction uses only simple
natural materials, which are any digging soil from
the earth mixed with water and added up with
paddy or hay or any dried fiber or even recycling
garbage.
• Mud house construction is durable and can
be easily rebuilt .
• Mud construction also provide natural air
conditioning which provide cool air from the
massive walls.
Lab, Auroville Earth Institute
Auroville Earth Institute

4. Various
construction
methods are:
• Stacked earth (COB)
• Pise or rammed earth
• Adobe
• Wattle & daub method
• Formed earth (Straw Clay)
• Earth filled in
• Compressed earth blocks
• Extruded earth
• Cut earth

5. STACKED EARTH (COB)
• A very stiff mud is prepared by mixing
mud and water in the proportion of 1:3
and it is moulded into huge elongated egg
shape.
• The elongated egg shape mud is 12 to 18-
inches, (30 to 40-cm) long and about 6-
inches (15-cm) in diameter.
• For making a wall ,a row of cob is placed
in proper line and is pressed to avoid gaps
and crack.
Tamil Nadu, – Village house, India

6. •In this way two to three layers of cobs are
placed one above the other and the sides
are smoothed to avoid cracks and gap.
•Door wooden frame or kerosene tins are
used to make the openings.
•COB is good for anything except height.
It is particularly good for curved or
round walls.
Austin

7. RAMMED EARTH:
• This is a method in which the strength of the
wall can be increased by increasing the
thickness of the wall..
• Two parallel planks are held firmly apart by
metal rods and clips or bolts, or by small
crosspieces of wood.
• Stiff mud is thrown in between these two
planks and rammed down with either a
wooden or metal ramrod.
 When one section is completed and hard, the
two planks are then raised up and a second
course of rammed earth is repeated over the
first.
Morocco
India, Ladakh

8. India, Ladakh
India, Ladakh
Construction of rammed earth
Construction technique

9. ADOBE:
 Adobe as a building material has been used since ages all over the
world and especially in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
• Blocks are kept covered with air tight polythene sheets for first 48 hrs
with relative humidity up to 100.
• Polythene sheets shall be removed after 48 hrs and the blocks shall be
kept in shaded area like having enough air circulation.
• Sprinkle water over blocks daily, as many times
needed, during 28 days.
• Write date of production on block corner.
• Cover stacks top with coconut leaves or any other cover to avoid
direct sunlight.
• Principle is that blocks shall not dry for 4weeks.
Tamil nadu, India
Tamil nadu, India

10. CUT EARTH:
•In areas where the soils was cohesive and contained
concretions of carbonates the soil was cut in the shape
of blocks 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:
India, Orissa India, Orissa
Burkina Faso, Quarry of Kari

11. •Soft soils- which will harden when exposed to air due to
chemical reaction of the soil constituent with the air
(carbonation reaction). This natural reaction is called
induration
•Such soils can be found on the west coast of India, from
Kerala to Goa.
•Hard crust- which was long ago a soil and has already
hardened (indured) through the ages.
•Orissa in India show wonderful examples of
such soils and blocks.
•In areas where the soil is not cohesive enough, people have
used topsoil and grass to create blocks.
India, Orissa
Burkina Faso, Quarry of Kari

12. India, OrissaIndia, Old Goa
India, GoaKerala, India

13. EARTH FILLED-IN :
•Humid soil was traditionally poured into wooden
lattice works. Thus, it gave some thermal mass to light
structures as well as some acoustic insulation.
•In recent times, dry soil has been poured into
synthetic textiles which are hold outside by wooden
poles driven into the ground.
•Dry soil is also being poured into long synthetic
tubes, which are staked upon each other.
School of Architecture, Germany
School of Architecture, Germany

14. •Cal-Earth (The California Institute of Earth Art and
Architecture) does an extensive use of filled in technique.
•They call it Super adobe construction and they are
building what is called Eco-domes. Super adobe structures
are an excellent example of green building techniques.
•They use Tubular roll of sandbag-type material which are
filled with earth. A barbed wire is use to bind the earth
tube together. Later on the earth tubes are plastered with
stabilised earth plaster.
USA, California, Cal-Earth
USA, California, Cal-Earth
USA, California, Cal-Earth

15. EXTRUDED EARTH :
•The earth extrusion technique has been used since
a long while in the fired brick industry.
•Stabilised earth, at a plastic state, is as well extruded
through a machine which gives the desired shape.
•The blocks are often hollow and are cut to
the desired length.
•This technique of stabilised extruded earth was
developed in the 20th century.
France
Burkina Faso

16. •Compared to the brick extrusion in the fired brick
industry, stabilised extruded earth bricks show a
major inconvenient.
•The soil required for stabilised earth is much sandier
than the one for fired earth.
•Thus the soil is more abrasive and the machines get
damaged at a much faster rate.
Burkina Faso

17. FORMED EARTH (Straw Clay) :
•Very clayey soil, in a liquid state, is poured on straw,
which has been chopped to the desired length.
•The mix is generally tampered afterwards into
forms.
•These walls are not load-bearing.
•they are light, have a very high thermal insulation value
and must be built in a wooden structure.
Belgium
Germany

18. •It was traditionally used in Germany and was re-
used for reconstruction after the 2nd world war.
Germany
•It is mostly known with the name Straw clay.
•Straw clay can be used as a filler wall, formed
between a wooden structure or as prefabricated
blocks.
Germany

19. Wattle and daub:
•Wattle and daub method is an old and common
method of building mud structures.
•Bamboo and cane frame structure that supports the
roof.
•Mud is plastered over this mesh of bamboo cane
and straws.
•Due to excessive rainfall the Wattle and
Daub structures gets washed off.
•However, the mesh of cane or split bamboo remains
intact and after the heavy rain is over the mud is
plastered on again. France
Somalia, Genale - Village huts

20. France - House
Nigeria - Reinforced earth

21. Taos Pueblo (New Mexico) Arg-e bam (southeasternIran,)
Examples of mud construction-

22. Djinguereber Mosque (West Africa.) West Africa (Uzbekistan)
Shibam (Yemen) Siwa oasis (western egypt)

23. Advantages
of Mud:
• Environmental impact:
• To save natural resources.
• Using neither cement nor rock (Save our
mountains).
• To save building materials:
• Main materials are soil and water, mixed to be
mud, if the mud is too sticky, we can add up with
paddy husky or rice straw or local fiber weed or
bamboo.
• Energy use :
• To save energy.
• Cool in summer (Inside building temperature is
about 24°c to 26°c.
• Warm in Winter (Automatic control temperature
by passive cooling system)
• Capital Expenditure:
• To save money .
• No air – conditioning, no electricity bills.

24. DISADVANTAGEs-
• Humidity is the crucial factor, mud-house will easily catch
fungus.
• The brand- new mud-house may have foul odour of
crushed green leaves.
• Erodes easily by water.
• Low tensile and shear strength , hence , roofs difficult.
• Susceptible to mechanical damage, rodents and
burgles.
• Grip between earth and wood is very weak , hence,
framed doors and windows are not possible.
• Requires regular maintenance.
• Not fire proof and not termite proof.

25. MUD ROOFS
• Mud Roof is constructed from good white earth including a large percentage of sodium salts. Mud
roof is the cheapest. It can be provided either on tiles or on wood boards.
• The mud roof includes rolled steel beams of adequate size and properly spaced according to the
span. On the top of this beam, T- section is located at 30 cm centre to centre.
• The size of this T section is usually 50 mm x 50 mm x 6 mm. The flange of a section is placed at
upwards. Well Burnt tiles or any other roofing material are located between the flanges of this t-
iron section.
• After this, 15 cm layer of stiff mud made from good white earth is laid over the tiles. This layer is
continuously beaten till the surface becomes hard and beater and resounds when struck upon it.
• The top of this terrace surface is plastered with mud plaster.
• In the mud plaster, cow dung is mixed in sufficient quantity. The surface is finished with four parts
of cow-dung and one part of cement mixed in water.

26. • Mud terrace is used in an area of light rainfall.
• In some region, mud roof is done on the teak wood boards which are 4 mm to 5 mm thick.
• These wooden boards are nailed to the wooden joists. 2.5 cm thick layer of wood shaving is spread over
the wooden board. Bricks are laid on edge over the wood shaving.
• Bricks are laid with lime or mud mortar. 8 to 10 cm thick layer of mud is spread between the bricks.
• At last, 2.5 cm thick layer of white earth containing a high percentage of sodium salts is applied.
• This top layer has to be renewed once in a year. These roofs provide insulation against heat and thus keep
the building cool and comfortable.

27. ADVANTAGES OF CLAY TILES/ MUD ROOFING
• Long-lasting: A tile roof can last over 100 years, especially when installed in the right climate. Clay and
concrete tile roofs have been known to withstand hail, high winds, and even fire. Once you install tile, you
will never have to install another type of roofing again. Just in case, most manufacturers will offer a 50-
year warranty.
• Impervious to rot and insect damage: Unlike wood, tiles roofs will never decay.
• Environmentally friendly material: Tile roofs are made from earth minerals, not chemicals, and they
can be pulverized and recycled when they are removed.
• Energy efficient: The heavy thermal mass of tiles will help regulate indoor temperatures.
• Low maintenance: Leaks are almost unheard of, and it is very rare for tile roofs to require repairs or
maintenance unless they break due to heavy impact.
• Plenty of choices: Clay, concrete, and slate tiles come in a wide variety of colors and styles to match
any home style, from Medieval to Contemporary European. Some styles even resemble traditional
shingles or wood shakes.

28. DISADVANTAGES OF CLAY TILES/ MUD ROOFING
• High cost: A clay tile roof system can cost two to three times as much as an asphalt roofing system.
• Difficult installation: Installing tile roofing requires professional roofing contractors with extensive
experience. The tiles will need to be measured, laid in a specific pattern, and checked so that no moisture
gets through. This is not a DIY project.
• Heavyweight: Some people avoid getting clay tiles for their roof because they’re heavy. They’re
significantly lighter than concrete tiles but can still put a lot of pressure on your roof. So they’re not an
appropriate material for weak buildings and you may need to reinforce your roof before you fit them.
• Fragile: In chilly temperatures, clay tiles can become brittle. This is because repeated freezing and
thawing weakens them. Brittle tiles are more likely to crack when under pressure. Even in warmer
environments, clay tiles are still fragile and easily broken. This means clay tiled roofs are suitable for
walking on.
• Not suitable for all roof slopes: Tile roofs are suitable only for roofs with relatively sharp slopes. They
should not be used on roofs with pitches less than 4:12.

29. Bibliography-
•http://www.earth-auroville.com
•https://www. building-design-and-construction-systems-brick.co.in
•Pritchett, Ian. The Building Conservation Directory, 2001: "Wattle and Daub". Accessed 2 February 2007
• Hoping that Mud – house will help open our eyes to an architectural alternative design for preserving
the natural world not solely for its own sake but to provide an environment hospitable to man which
should be environmental friendly design.
• Today, common man is lost in the glory of newly introduced materials. These materials have specific
qualities but , still they are not best as compared to the locally developed materials .
Conclusion-

30. THANK YOU