Sustainable Building: EARTH 1

Sustainable Building:
EARTH Part 1

Qty Unit Item Particulars
30sacks Screened High Clay Earth red
30sacks Screened High Clay Earth brown
10sacks plastering sand
3sacks whole straw
1sacks chopped straw
2sacks rice hull
2sacks CRH-carbonized rice hull
2sacks Portland Cement
1sack Ag. Lime
1sack builders lime hydrated-slaked
200liters water drum
2020 liter pails
22liter scoops
24liter pails
2pcs float plastic
2pcs Hawk wood
1pc brick form adobe
1pc Larry hoe with holes
3pcs trowel various
2pcs mixing tubs plastic
1liter tung oil
1liter slate sealant
2bowls ferrocement practice
1pc English hiking stick wood
4pcs sealed rock
2pcs 2'x4' forms
6pcs dowels/clamps/nuts
2pcs ends/keys
2pcs rams wood
1pc ram steel
2pcs bamboo
1set Strapping set stainless

Aloha Ranch and
Organic Farm
An Eco Village Half way to the Underground River
Aloha House
An Orphanage on an Organic Farm
Aloha Kitchen
Artisan Farmstead Cheeses, Salsas, Jams and more
2 hectares
5 acres
13 rai
31 dou
7 hectares
17 acres
43 rai
108 dou

Aloha House Inc.
Registered with SEC
Non-profit, non-stock NGO
Accredited by the DSWD
Orphanage
Christian Ministry
Mother’s Program
Train Progressive Organic Farmers

Earth as a building material comes in a
thousand different compositions, and can
be variously processed. Loam, or clayey
soil, as it is referred to scientifically, has
different names when used in various
applications, for instance rammed earth,
soil blocks, mud bricks or adobe.

Mushroom
Culture House
Bench
EH 3
The Nebraska
House
Tool shed
Retaining
walls
EH 2
Charcoal
kilns
EH 1
Cow shed

Workshop
3-2-1
Hull/sand/stabilizer
Native finish
Acid Stain finish
88watt bottle lights

Rammed Earth

Rammed Earth
The “secret” of loam lies in the lamellar structure
of the various clay minerals and their internal
electrical attraction, which is activated only by
water and movement. This means that by kneading
loam in a plastic state, the clay minerals are able to
come together in a denser, parallel layered packing,
achieving greater binding force, and when dry,
higher tensile and compressive strength.

Thermal Bridging
Heat sink walls
Small overhang shade
Inedible landscape
Impermeable surfaces
Venting ineffective

Benefits of Sustainability Principles
Reduced Energy Requirements
Improved Indoor Environment
Minimized Impact Of Material Use
Reduced Water Requirements
Reduced Impact On Site
Improved Cycle Cost
Improved Health, Performance And Productivity

LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s
green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of
resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings. LEED is the
triple bottom line in action, benefiting people, planet and profit.
LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Energy Design Strategies
Optimize Siting/Orientation
East-West Access For Passive Solar Access
Airflow Corridor
Microclimates- berms, swales, extend season, watch thermal mass
Reduce Size
Insulation/Envelope Design
Landscape
Shade
Minimize Plug Load

Part of your sector analysis: PCMDP

Macarascas, Palawan
Soil Audit: 10% clay
clay
silt
sand

In late 2013, the International Code Council (ICC) approved
two new appendixes: one for straw bale construction
(Appendix S) and one for light straw-clay construction
(Appendix R). These appendixes are included in the 2015
Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings.
http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015%20IRC%20HTML/Appendix%20S.html

Energy Audit
 On site materials
 Portland reduction
 Labor efficiency
 Fuel spent
 Resources wasted
 Trees eliminated
 Wildlife destroyed
 Electricity used
 Kilometers traveled

Sod House
 On site materials
 Portland reduction
 Labor efficiency
 Fuel spent
 Resources wasted
 Trees eliminated
 Wildlife destroyed
 Electricity used
 Kilometers traveled

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Willingness to Share Knowledge
Zero Knowledge Little Knowledge Some Knowledge Growing Knowledge
“Advocacy”
Mount Stupid
Actual Experience and growing success

Multi-Level non-farming Con Men

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Mount Stupid
Actual Experience and growing success

Aloha Ranch
Loam has three
disadvantages when
compared to common
industrialized building
materials:
1. Loam is not a
standardized building
material
2. Loam mixtures shrink
when drying
3. Loam is not water-
resistant
Loam has many advantages
in comparison to common
industrial building materials:
1. Loam balances air
humidity
2. Loam stores heat (or cold)
3. Loam saves energy and
reduces environmental
pollution
4. Loam is always reusable
5. Loam saves material and
transportation costs
6. Loam is ideal for do-it-
yourself construction
7. Loam preserves timber
and other organic materials
8. Loam absorbs pollutants

Aloha Ranch
Loam has three
disadvantages when
compared to common
industrialized building
materials:
1. Loam is not a
standardized building
material
2. Loam mixtures shrink
when drying
3. Loam is not water-
resistant
Loam has many advantages
in comparison to common
industrial building materials:
1. Loam balances air
humidity
2. Loam stores heat (or cold)
3. Loam saves energy and
reduces environmental
pollution
4. Loam is always reusable
5. Loam saves material and
transportation costs
6. Loam is ideal for do-it-
yourself construction
7. Loam preserves timber
and other organic materials
8. Loam absorbs pollutants
4. Production order requires proper planning
a. Curing/shrinkage/moisture
b. Protection of surfaces
c. Wall/column/roof assembly

“Plaster finish
Normal lime plaster usually
consists of 1 part hydraulic lime
and 3 to 4 parts sand. Since it is
commonly used in construction
worldwide, it is not discussed
further in this book.”
Dr. Minke Gernot

Neil and Su have so many
projects going on right now. Neil
calls it "project creep," where
you start something small and
end up with something
unmanageable. They bought
their house a few years ago and
are doing massive renovations.

Rammed earthen floor
EH 3
Troweled
Oiled
Waxed

Choosing the right steel for you depends on your purpose：
Jigane is unfired forged iron. Whereas a hard carbon steel tends to slide over a plaster, "soft"
jigane iron will push and pull material, making it excellent at distributing plaster on wall. By
"soft", we refer to the quality of the steel, not the flexibility of the trowel. Because Jigane is a
soft steel, Jigane trowels tend to be thick, stiff and heavy. Jigane is suitable for scratch and
brown coats of earthen or lime plaster.
Hanyaki is fired once after forging. Hanyaki is suitable for all coats, and can also be used for
cement based plasters as well.
Abarayaki is steel that is forged, coated with oil, and then fired twice. It is harder than hanyaki
and suitable for compressing plaster for a glossy finish.
Honyaki is made in a similar fashion to abarayaki, but is fired at a higher temperature. Being a
very hard carbon steel, it is suitable for earthen or lime finish coats and cement based plasters.
Stainless steel is the hardest steel but can be produced so thin as to be flexible as well. It is
used to apply thin coats and to smooth trowels marks.

3-2-1
3 rice hull
2 sand
1 stabilizer

Gernot Minke
Building with Earth
Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture
https://ia700503.us.archive.org/11/items/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth.pdf

Gernot Minke
Building with Earth

“With the technology, an average Nigerian can afford to build a house
with 10 bags of cement, and with just 10 bags of cement, you easily get
three-bedroom bungalows. “You use the old maiden earth, that is, the
soil; you use a proportion of the soil with the cement, adding little amount
of water under a prefabricated form. “With some timing and technical
concentration, you erect a wall and after 24 hours, you remove the form
and go to the next wall and do the same,’’ he said.

Dango: hikaru doro dango
by Kyle Holzhueter
The art of polished clay balls, known
as hikaru nendo dango or hikaru doro
dango in Japanese, first began in
Japan in the 1980’s. Shinkichi
Enomoto-san, a renowned plasterer
in Tokyo famous for his modern Otsu
finish (polished earth-lime plaster), is
held as the originator of polished clay
balls. Due to its simple and beautiful
nature, the art of polishing clay balls
is becoming popular throughout the
world.

Dango: hikaru doro dango
1
6
8
2
3
1. Hydrate
2. Form
3. Rest
4. Reshape
5. Rest
6. Compress
7. Rest
8. Polish
4

Tadelakt, freely translated, means "to rub in". The specific
Stone-effect is attained by polishing the lime plaster with a
stone.

Earth Terms
Loam as it is referred to scientifically,
(clayey soil) has different names when
used in various applications, for
instance rammed earth, soil blocks,
mud bricks or adobe.

http://www.muskokasustainablebuilders.ca/Projects/Pages/Rammed_Earth_Testing.html#10

The results show that over 90 % of the variation in stabilised strength and density
of the samples is due to variation in soil properties, with differences in stabiliser
type or stabiliser quantity being relatively minor. The most important soil properties
explaining stabilised strength are linear shrinkage and plasticity index. These
properties have been used to categorise the soils into three groups on the basis of
their suitability for stabilisation as measured against a compressive strength
criterion of 2 MPa. Favourable soils have shrinkages of < 7.1 % and
plasticities of < 16 %, and 90 % of these samples passed the 2 MPa criterion.
Satisfactory soils have shrinkages of 7.1-13.0 % and plasticities of 16-30 %, and
65 % of these samples had strengths in excess of 2 MPa. Unfavourable soils have
shrinkages of > 13 % and plasticities of > 30 %, and
only 10 % of these samples exceeded the 2 MPa value.
https://sites.google.com/site/researchterra/research/australia
Quantitative criteria for the selection and stabilisation of
soils for rammed earth wall construction
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of the Built Environment
University of New South Wales by
Van Stephan Burroughs

Stabilisation techniques can be categorised into three main groups:
compaction (densification), granular stabilisation, and chemical
stabilisation.
1. Compaction, or densification, involves compacting the soil either
manually or mechanically to increase its density and strength.
Compaction may be the single stabilisation method, or used with
either granular and/or chemical stabilisation.
2. Granular stabilisation is the mechanical combination of two or more
materials (or soils) possessing complementary physical
characteristics (e.g. particle size distribution) in order to produce a
material that is more favourable for construction.
3. Chemical stabilisation is the addition of a
chemical, such as lime or portland cement, to a soil in small quantities and
the resulting chemical reactions produce a material with increased
strength and improvements in other properties such as plasticity and
shrinkage (e.g. Croft, 1968).

Quantitative criteria for the selection and stabilisation of
soils for rammed earth wall construction
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of the Built Environment
University of New South Wales by
Van Stephan Burroughs

3-2-1 Road
3 rice hull
2 sand
1 stabilizer

Non-structural infill walls
3-2-1
3 rice hull
2 sand
1 stabilizer

Non-structural High R living roof
3-2-1
3 rice hull
2 sandy clay
1 stabilizer

PTO drive producing stored air at
150 psi
Backfill Tamper: American
Pneumatic model #131
38 CFM @ 90psi

Earth
Terms
Adobe
Blocks of earth (loam)
produced manually by
throwing wet earth into
a formwork are called
adobes or mud bricks
or sun- dried earth
blocks. Also can be used
to plaster or Wattle and
daub

Cob: Chopped straw and earth
“The word cob comes from an old English root meaning a lump or
rounded mass. Cob building uses hands and feet to form lumps of
earth mixed with sand and straw.”

Earth Terms
Soil Blocks
are compressed
unbaked bricks
Gernot Minke
Building with Earth
https://ia700503.us.archive.org/11/items/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth/Gernot_Minke-Building_With_Earth.pdf

Earth
Terms
Stabilized Soil
Blocks
are compressed
unbaked bricks
w/ Portland
etc.

Compressed stabilized soil blocks
Sand, Portland and limestone

Earth Terms
Stabilized
Rammed Soil
Blocks
are compressed
unbaked bricks
that use a
stabilizer (hydrated
lime, Portland etc.)

Pneumatic
Compaction
Rammed Earth

S.I.R.E.
Stabilized Insulated Rammed Earth

Earth Terms
Stabilized Rammed Earth Walls
are compressed walls that use loam
and a stabilizer (hydrated lime,
Portland etc.)
The French call
rammed earth
construction
pisé de terre.

High labor costs
Multiple handling of materials
High material costs
Trucked into site from quarry
High embedded energy
Carbon intensive production
High heat gain
High U value
Rammed Earth Vs. Hollow block
Lower labor costs
Efficient use of materials
Lower material costs
Local materials, on site
Low embedded energy
Stores more carbon than produced
No solar gain
High R value

High labor costs
Multiple handling of materials
Foot mixing
Material is blended manually
Advanced lead time
Bricks must be cured and load
bearing
Additional grout
required for building
Rammed Earth Vs. Adobe Brick
Lower labor costs
Efficient use of materials
Single handling
Mixer is used
No lead time for curing
Forms are moved immediately
Stronger/longer lasting
Monolithic pour

The laundry list of volatile chemicals used in tires is alarming:
· Benzene inhalation causes cancer
· Toluene inhalation causes cognitive disfunction
· Arsenic inhalation causes organ failure
· Acetone inhalation causes irritation of the throat and lung
plus heavy metals that include
· Nickel inhalation causes sinusitis and cancer
· Copper inhalation causes nausea and suppressed liver function
· Cadmium inhalation causes kidney disease and an increased frequency of kidney stone formation
Organic compounds in tires break down more quickly than the vulcanized rubber. Criteria which determine
breakdown rate include: heating, friction (from movement), water trapping and freezing, and evaporation of
plasticizers.

STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH
A lightweight husk loam for Rural Housing
With a high Insulative rating for tropical conditions

Earth Terms
Rammed “Tamped” Earth walls
- compacted within a formwork

1 Binder
2 sandy soil
3 Ricehull
5-10 liters water
Or 2 sand
(stronger)

Australia has the potential to produce over a million tons of rice annually, and
our rice farmers have shown themselves to be very efficient in its cultivation,
using 50 per cent less water for the crop than the global average. Rice needs to
be hulled to remove the outer husk from the eatable inner grain. The waste
generated in the process is significant - it has been calculated that in excess of
100,000,000 metric tons of rice hulls are created globally.

These little shells, which make up approximately 20 per cent of the weight of
harvested rice, have shown themselves to have rather remarkable
properties. They are considered to be naturally flame retardant, requiring
no chemical additives to provide their self extinguishing characteristics,
partly due to their high silica content. They resist the growth of fungi and
mould. In the USA, rice husks have been classified as Class A insulation
material for their high thermal resistance value.

Binder - termite barrier
10 liters CRH/RHA
10 liters agri lime stone
20 liters Portland cement

10 liters CRH/RHA/ STICKYRICE
'The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin,
which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar. Moreover, we found that
amylopectin in the mortar acted as an inhibitor: The growth of the calcium carbonate crystal
was controlled, and a compact microstructure was produced, which should be the cause of
the good performance of this kind of organic-organic mortar.'
https://home-building.wonderhowto.com/news/secret-ingredient-indestructible-1-500-year-old-chinese-architecture-0116678/

10 liters CRH/RHA/ STICKYRICE
'The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin,
which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar. Moreover, we found that
amylopectin in the mortar acted as an inhibitor: The growth of the calcium carbonate crystal
was controlled, and a compact microstructure was produced, which should be the cause of
the good performance of this kind of organic-organic mortar.'
https://home-building.wonderhowto.com/news/secret-ingredient-indestructible-1-500-year-old-chinese-architecture-0116678/
amylopectin, a type of polysaccharide
http://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2050-7445-1-26

Excavated on site sandy soil
Local Rice hull
Carbonized
Rice hull
/ASH
Stabilized Rammed Earth wall materials
Light weight loam
<600 kg/m3

Hybrid Earthen Homes
Soil Audit: 10% clay
EH 3
clay
silt
sand
Experimental Mix
2 parts subsoil

Local Rice hull
Light weight loam
<600 kg/m3
RHA:
Rice Hull
ASH

Spanish barro apisonado or tapial
German Stampflehmbau
French terre pisé
Rammed Earth-Minke
Moist soil is poured into formwork
in layers up to 15 cm thick and then
compacted by ramming

Loam is a mixture of clay, silt and sand, and
sometimes contains larger aggregates like
gravel and stones.

A solid wall of rammed
earth without straw or other
light aggregates has nearly
the same insulating effect
as a solid wall of baked
bricks.

A solid wall of rammed
earth without straw or other
light aggregates has nearly
the same insulating effect
as a solid wall of baked
bricks. -Minke
The lighter the material,
the higher its thermal
insulation.
The greater its humidity
level, the lower its
insulating effect. -Minke

In comparison with wet loam
techniques (see chapter 9), the
shrinkage ratio of rammed earth is
much lower, and strength much
higher.
In comparison with adobe masonry
(see chapter 6), rammed earth –
since it is monolithic – provides
the advantage of longer life.
-Minke

Earth, when used as a building material, is often
given different names. Referred to in scientific
terms as loam, it is a mixture of clay, silt (very
fine sand), sand, and occasionally larger
aggregates such as gravel or stones. -Minke

When speaking of handmade unbaked bricks,
the terms ”mud bricks” or “adobes” are usually
employed for earth; when speaking of
compressed unbaked bricks, the term ”soil
blocks” is used. When compacted within a
formwork, it is called ”rammed earth”. -Minke

Some Earth Building Options
Wattle and daub
Rammed Earth
Adobe
Cob
Soil blocks

2 Basic Rammed Earth Types
Light weight loam
• Manually tamped
• Contains organic matter (Hull)
• Usually stabilized
• Usually plaster finished
Simulated Sandstone
• Machine tamped
• Stabilizer optional
• Usually unfinished

Rammed cow shed with ends protected by wood

Is this wall Finished?
How?
Rammed earth?
Is this wall Structural?

Mixing stabilized lightweight loam

Rammed stabilized lightweight loam wall

Rammed Earth
Next Hybrid Earthen Home
Building Course January 2015
Aloha Ranch
Earthquake and typhoon
resistant Homes

Rammed Earth
Hybrid Earthen Home Building
Course November 2014
Aloha Ranch

Rammed Earth
Mushroom Culture House

High R value insulation
[Low U value]
R value measures thermal resistance

Mushroom
Culture House
Bench
EH 3
The Nebraska
House
Tool shed
Retaining
walls
EH 2
Charcoal
kilns
EH 1

The Keyline Scale of Permanence:
1. Climate
2. Land Shape
3. Water
4. Roads
5. Trees
6. Buildings
7. Subdivision
8. Soil
KEYLINE DESIGN Mark IV
‘Soil, Water & Carbon for Every Farm’
Building Soils, Harvesting Rainwater, Storing Carbon
Abe Collins & Darren J. Doherty

The anxiety that mice or insects might live in
earth walls is unfounded when these are solid.
Insects can survive only provided there are
gaps, as in “wattle-and-daub” walls. In South
America, the Chagas disease, which leads to
blindness, comes from insects that live in
wattle-and-daub walls. Gaps can be avoided
by constructing walls of rammed earth or
mud bricks with totally filled mud mortar
joints. Moreover, if the earth contains too many
organic additives, as in the case of lightweight
straw clay, with a density of less than 600
kg/m3, small insects such as wood lice can live
in the straw and attack it. Common perceptions
that loam surfaces are difficult to clean
(especially in kitchens and bathrooms) can be
dealt with by painting them with casein/lime,
linseed oil or other coatings, which makes them
non- abrasive. As explained on p. 132,
bathrooms with earth walls are more hygienic
than those with glazed tiles, since earth absorbs
high humidity quickly, thereby inhibiting fungus
growth.
Gernot Minke
Building with Earth
Pg 16

The anxiety that mice or insects might live in
earth walls is unfounded when these are solid.
Insects can survive only provided there are
gaps, as in “wattle-and-daub” walls. In South
America, the Chagas disease, which leads to
blindness, comes from insects that live in
wattle-and-daub walls. Gaps can be avoided
by constructing walls of rammed earth or
mud bricks with totally filled mud mortar
joints.
Gernot Minke
Building with Earth
Pg 16
Martin Shkreli, the hedge-fund manager who
became notorious for buying the rights to
critical anti-parasite drugs used to treat
HIV/AIDS patients and then jacking up the
price by 5000% (from $13.50 to $750!) has
found himself himself arrested by federal
authorities for securities fraud. He recently
acquired KaloBios Pharmaceuticals and is
planning to raise the price of courses
of benznidazole, used to treat a disease in
Latin America known as “Chagas,” from
$100 to $100,000

Sicsican mud house
Marcus Swanepole
Wattle and daub

Sicsican mud house
Wattle and daub

Evaluating Earthen Structures
Wattle and daub
Score card- critical and financial considerations
 Material sources _______________
 On-site – labor cost
 Local – delivery cost
 Trucked – delivery cost
 Plinth height __________________
 Plinth width__________________
 Lintel height __________________
 Window
 Tie beam
 Wall thickness width____________
 Wall height ____________________
 Structural support
 Wall only h:w _____________
 Columns
 Material
 Clay
 Sand
 Lignin
 Stabilizer
 Finish
 Plaster
 Painted clay
 Raw
 Roof material____________________
 Roof overhang _______
 Roof overhang ratio RO:WH _______
 Roof slope ____________

Stacked shuttering
U-shaped wall in greenhouse

U-shaped wall in greenhouse
Ring beam next

Formwork slides up for
Second layer on First layer

7m
5.2m
2.4m
2.7m
h = (√3)s 4.6m
d = 2s 5.2m
a = (1.5√3)s²
19m2
206 sq ft.
p = 6s
Similarly,
s = h/(√3)
d = 2h/(√3)
19m2

Master pattern
6 Columns
1 meter floor extention

20cm
86 cm
Master pattern
Column detailColumn strap detail
30cm
3 straps
Below floor
Dowels connect
Below floor

Marking footings

One man bagging with tubular bag holder

Two men bagging with human bag holder

Ready for footings
Holes 80cm x 80cm x 25cm
steel 80cm x 80cm x 10mm

Digging footings
Bagging excavated loam
for rammed earth wall
One man bagging with tubular bag holder

Plinth
Footing
Column
Flooring
25cmdeep
80cm
40cm
30cm
Foundation detail
EH 1

Footing pad, dowels and column ready
Footing hole 80cm x 80cm x 25cm
8mm 70cm x 70cm steel bar

Footing pad poured and plinth next, column ready

Plinth w/concrete, steel and rock infill

Column form detail
20cm
30cm
Steel strap Wood form with key
30cm
40cm
2”x4” key
Finished column
Ready for ramming

Column form detail
Wood form with key
2”x4” dovetail key
Wing nut

Column form detail
Column and rammed
wall locked with key

First layer on plinth
Slotted angle bar guides

Column key

Column key
Formwork slides up for
Second layer on First layer

Improved formwork
w/backsplash

Must roof after final ram

Rainy season may require temporary roof

The Miller Bench

Hybrid Earthen Home
and
Aquaponic Greenhouse

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Window
Mold
Jalousie
window
Lentil / tie beam considerations

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Window
Mold

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Window
Mold
Removed

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Sitting
window

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
1/2 height 14cm thick wall
6 mixers rammed
lightweight loam

Finishing Options
Raw
Plaster
Clays
Binders

Interior wall
1 lime
3 fine sand
½ clay

Stay within a pallet range you like
Finishing Options
Raw
Plaster
Clay paints
Binders

Finishing Options
Raw
Plaster
Clay paints
Binders

Raw poured earth
Finishing Options
Raw
Plaster
Clay paints
Binders

Earth Paint
1. Bring 20 liters water to boil before mixing starch
2. Mix/dissolve 1 kg. Cassava starch w/
1 liter cool water
3. Pour #1 into #2 and then
remove from heat
3. Mix 1 part Clay and
3 parts Sand then
add #3
ThaiMudBrick.DAT 11:57

Albuminate
Finishing Options
Raw
Plaster
Clay paints
Binders

Hydrated or ‘bag’ lime
This is the lime generally available in agricultural and
builders merchants. It is a non-hydraulic lime produced by
slaking Quicklime with a shortfall of water which results in a
powder. It is generally considered to be an inferior product
to the fat lime putty described above for a number of
reasons but primarily because it starts to degrade from the
moment it is made and can actually fully carbonate in the
bag before use. Widespread use of ‘bag’ lime has given
‘lime’ a poor name because of the instances where it
simply has none of its original properties left by the
time the end-user works with it, hence it fails, dusts etc.
If ‘bag’ lime is the only option, then it should be purchased
as fresh as possible and left to soak for two days in
clean water. Although the resulting product is
chemically the same as ‘fat’ lime putty, it is physically
different, in particular, it is less ‘sticky’. A cement mix with a
shovel of hydrated/bag lime in it is not a lime mortar, in this
instance, the lime is simply being used as a plasticiser.
https://www.lime.org.uk/community/types-of-lime/types-of-lime.html

Slaked/High Calcium/Putty/Air/‘Fat’ or Non-Hydraulic Lime
This lime is produced by slaking fresh Quicklime in an excess of water. It
is also known as non-hydraulic lime because it requires exposure to air in
order to carbonate and does not set under water.
This lime is regarded as the most appropriate lime for old buildings
or ‘softer’ substrates where maximum permeability, capillarity
and flexibility is required.
Premixed ‘wet’ products are made from lime putty with the addition of an
aggregate (or alternative) and/or fibre

Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL)
This ‘hydrated’ lime is different to the ‘bag’ lime as it is produced
from limestone naturally containing clay and other impurities which
enable it to set without exposure to air; it is therefore used for
providing a faster initial set in more extreme conditions including
under water. There are many types of hydraulic lime and they are
categorised according to the following (NHL - Naturally Hydraulic
Lime):
Feebly hydraulic lime (NHL 2) – contains less than 12% clay which
means it is slower to set (about 20 days in water);
Moderately hydraulic lime (NHL3.5) – contains 12%-18% clay
which gives a slightly faster set (15-20 days in water);
Eminently hydraulic lime (NHL5) – has up to 25% clay content
which means that a much faster set is achieved (hours/days).
These limes have become increasingly popular over the last
decade because of their comparative ‘ease of use’ and ‘strength’,
compared to fat lime products, but see Choosing Lime for ‘trade-off’
chart. It is important to understand the building, Its location
and construction materials to provide an informed specification for
which lime to choose.

Hydraulic Lime (HL)
These contain lime and other materials such as cement, blast-furnace slag, fly
ash and limestone filler. Manufacturers are not required to state the composition
of hydraulic lime.
Formulated Lime (FL)
These contain lime with hydraulic properties comprising air lime and/or NHL with
added hydraulic and/or pozzolanic material – classified according to its
compressive strength.
Natural/Roman cement
Natural or ‘Roman’ cement was extensively used in the 19th century (nothing to
do with the Romans). It is based on a naturally occurring limestone containing
clay and unlike the fat lime products above, was not slaked, just ground. This
product comes from a single, naturally occurring mineral, unlike Portland cement
which consists of ingredients blended together. It was appreciated for four main
reasons: fast set, strength, aesthetics and durability. It was patented in 1796 and
used for run moulding, precast moulds, artificial stone, stonework joints
(especially canals), floors (terrazzo) and fresh plaster sculpting. It is still available
today, ‘Prompt’ is an example.
Pozzolans
Pozzolans are ‘heated’ materials such as brickdust, GGBFS (Granulated Ground
Blast Furnace Slag), Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA), Calcined Clay; that contain
silica, alumina and iron which become reactive towards alkalis including lime.
They help to give a fat lime mortar a ‘faster’ set (essentially creating an ‘artificial’
hydraulic lime) and are therefore helpful in many situations to broaden the
applications for fat limes. It is believed that many historic mortars were ‘fat’ or
‘non-hydraulic’ as those that have been analysed contained these ‘heated
material’ which changed the performance of the mortar.

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Breathable? Plaster Primer
1 part whey or powdered milk and 1 part hydrated lime
Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutes
then add 2 parts water run for 2 more minutes
Lime, together with casein,
forms a chemical
waterproofing agent called
calcium ALBUMINATE.

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Plaster Preparation
Whey, lime and sand The lime has
to be first intensively mixed into the
whey to form a creamy paste
without adding any water. After
allowing the mix to rest for a while,
water and sand should be added.
For a thinner plaster that can be brushed
on, with the proportion 1:6:25
In warm climates, some kitchen salt
should be added to keep the lime plaster
moist for a longer period, which improves
curing.

Water Proof Breathable Colored Plaster
1 part whey to 1 part hydrated lime
Machine Mix 2 minutes then stand 5 minutes
then add 1 part clay for color, 3 parts sand for texture and 4 parts hydrated lime
Machine Mix
Set drill press to Lowest speed
with 5 ½ ” boat prop

Hybrid
Earthen
Homes
Water Proof Breathable Colored Plaster
then add 1 part clay for color, 3 parts sand for texture and 4 parts water

Full height 14cm
thick wall
12 mixers rammed
lightweight loam
Whey/ lime primer

½ height 14cm
thick wall
6 mixers rammed
lightweight loam
Whey/ lime clay
and sand finish
Coat 1

Building 1
Hybrid
Earthen
Homes

ALOHA RANCH
and
ORGANIC FARM
Macarascas

ALOHA RANCH
Score card- critical and financial considerations
 Material sources _______________
 On-site – labor cost
 Local – delivery cost
 Trucked – delivery cost
 Plinth height __________________
 Plinth width__________________
 Lintel height __________________
 Window
 Tie beam
 Wall thickness width____________
 Wall height ____________________
 Structural support
 Wall only h:w _____________
 Columns h:w _____________
 Material
 Clay
 Sand
 Lignin
 Stabilizer
 Finish
 Plaster
 Painted clay
 Raw
 Roof material____________________
 Roof overhang _______
 Roof overhang ratio RO:WH _______
 Roof slope ____________

🇵🇭
4
1
2
35
Zone planning for efficient use

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4
1
2
3
5

🇵🇭
4
1
2
5
3

4
5
2
3
1
🇵🇭

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Sustainable Building: EARTH 1

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