How To BUILD A RAMMED EARTH WALL: Sustainable & STRONG!

[@Tysca_]

This is a really impressive building method. I'm beyond pleased to see that it's being done with such professional and natural and aesthetic results. Rammed earth is a building material used by only three groups on the planet today: 1. The very poor, 2. The very rich, 3. The people who live in Arizona. Gets a bad rap compared to our cardboard houses with 16" spacing. The pigmented concrete is clever and beautifully done. Kudos, and good luck on further perfecting your processes!

[@Guavauava]

Have you considered adding powdered basalt or basalt fibers? Basalt reacts with co2 and converts it into a mineral (dolomite, calcite, etc). I’m wondering if that would strengthen the wall even further, maybe we could reduce the amount of cement. Basalt is naturally occurring and absorbs co2 at a rate of 92%, so using it is carbon negative. Seawater hold a lot of co2, so that could be used to mix the materials instead of regular water. Some ideas!

[@charliedaniels1]

Hey, I like the way you think

[@SuicidalSummerSnowWoman]

nice

[@dukecity7688]

Basalt! Yes. You have awesome ideas.

[@susanneschauf7417]

The Romans used sea water instead of normal water and the buildings are still strong today

[@mvs3553]

That's the mineral that helps it heal it self right?

[@222welder]

I used to own an electric Bosch demo hammer which had a 4X4" tamper attachment. It seems like a good middle ground between the hand tamper and the pneumatic hammer. I once took the shank from a broken spade bit and welded the 8x8" head from a broken hand tamper to it and it. It doubled my efficiency. The only drawback was I couldn't store it in the same box as the rest of the bits. That's not even a real problem.

[@danedwards3397]

I've been thinking about how to get past the hand tamping part with less expense than the expensive pneumatic one that was mentioned. Thanks for the info :) Looks like I need a trip to one of the builder supply places. I'm hoping this thing isn't too expensive.

[@ManuelRodriguez-mg6tp]

Would a modified jackhammer work?

[@222welder]

@@zeron4081 I believe it was an SDS-Max model. This was around 2006.

[@222welder]

I did a little digging online and found this model that looks exactly like the one I had. 11316EVS-46 14 Amp

[@RyanTeo]

Quite interesting. This method is quite similar to a traditional method 夯土 (hang1 tu3) used in Chinese farm houses. Nowadays, different soil mixtures are used for better strength and durability. Automated mechanical tools are used for faster packing of the earth. Surface treatment is also done to prevent erosion and improve waterproofing. A sample 5 min video (in Chinese, but quite illustrative) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZbGaIOdn9uge7M

[@marcedwards2293]

I built a rammed earth home in Georgia in 1990. The house was awesome. Super efficient and I’d put it up against an F1 Tornado any day. Not new construction but 2000 year old tech.

[@cjschmitt4882]

LOL…way to put it up against the weakest tornado

[@marcedwards2293]

@@cjschmitt4882 : It probably would have done more, but where’s the proof. It never was hit by any tornado. However, would an F1 take out a standard stick house? Probably. Not only was it built tough, but I designed it using Florida Hurricane codes, with columns steel reinforced and tie beams to cap it off that had hurricane straps to tie down the trusses and used 5/8 plywood to sheet the roof, not 1/2 Osborn’s and trusses were 16’ on center not 24’. So it was a beast.

[@AYMANCREATIVESTUDIO]

Can you share the pictures please

[@rogerleemkting]

What was your construction cost?

[@uiagraphics-customprinting975]

Great work and thank you for this video. I have been searching for RAMMED EARTH HOUSES and BUILDERS for many years now. This is a very nicely done and well informative.

[@lacypinyotlesueur458]

Ray! This video was recommended on myKZbin feed! You’re absolutely killing it bro! Keep up the amazing, inspiring work! Much love from Lacy

[@mountainlife2411]

Me too. Ray is a good dude.

[@TheSedevacantist]

Solid. Good drop test tip. I can imagine I'd never read about it in a book, so I'm glad you dropped that one. Makes sense. Thanks.

[@muhammadfajartrianto9888]

In Indonesia it was named batako, use peneumatic press to form a block of brick.

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

Those are CEBs, Compressed Earth Blocks, at least here in the US. They're actually better than rammed Earth, a lot easier to build with and more water-resistant with all the lime added in.

[@gorgev9341]

Hi from Tucson Arizona

[@oldschool1993]

Soil cement was a common way to build rural roads in the 1930's. They are very durable.

[@andrewcheshire244]

Dreaming about building a hempcrete dome house with a steel frame. Indestructible!

[@fabolvaskarika7940]

It’s very labour intensive, but beautiful and the bonus that it’s environmental friendly makes it worth. Thanks god, that there are people like you, who has the knowledge and willingness to do, also for the people who put extra money to order a job like this. I guess, it’s would be faster, cheaper with concrete/brick/ prefabricated materials, etc… but the ecological footprint of those technologies are much bigger, so I highly appreciate what you do.

[@naturalbuildings]

That’s what it’s all about! Thank you Fából 🙏

[@soltanakouider5922]

the dirt is free no money

[@fabolvaskarika7940]

@@soltanakouider5922 WTF? 1. Soil not free in most countries. 2. It’s labour intensive and needs a lots of skills to make it right. 3. Conclusion: you are wrong 😑

[@sunilsilva8204]

@@fabolvaskarika7940 WTF? 1.Soil is indeed free in most countries in the world..btw which world you living in? 2. even though its labour intensive...it doesnt need lots of skill to make it right. 3. Conclusion : YOU are wrong .😐

[@fabolvaskarika7940]

@ AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIST i have to inform you that 1. No, soil or even sand is NOT free in most developed countries. 2. Maybe doesn’t need a lot of skill, but needs time and energy. As we know time is money and if someone doesn’t have the energy as about the 70% of the population doesn’t, because they are either children, elderly or disabled, maybe active age group who spend lot of time in office or with caring for children or both, so they don’t have the energy. 3. WTF? Which part of the world do you live? Educate yourself before making embarrassing comments! YOU are wrong!

[@anthonydunn729]

Bro if you just hooked that pneumatic press up to a brick press you could 'pre-tamp' your materials for building sites, literally just laying the bricks down into the molds between layers of mortar. (The bricks could be hidden or visible). When there's enough pressure on raw sand or other materials they become -what engineers call- "stabilized Earth", so your pneumatic setup (and maybe a gearbox) could press out bricks that are stable at 0% concrete, then place those inside your walls using the 7 or 10% concrete materials sprinkled in between and around the bricks.

[@naturalbuildings]

💙🙏

[@jpvoxdawg]

Smart man woe

[@sethhofstetter8161]

There is a patent for a brick machine from 1865...calls for clay/sand mix and puts 65 tons of force on the dry mix to form vricks that can almost immediately be fired. They are not stable until fired, though...just super compressed.

[@DIARRHEA-PANIC]

Dude you're totally blowing his steeze... Everyone's gonna know you can just go by bricks now. 😅

[@anthonydunn729]

@@sethhofstetter8161 Interesting! When you say stable, do you mean resilient to water or that it's the only way it'll hold form? Structural Engineering has a video where he mechanically stabilizes soil well enough to support the weight of a car so I really wanna learn more about building with stuff like that. -and the WASP construction printer.

[@mechupatreshuevos]

thank you for teaching us. good job! greetings from Argentina

[@NotAffiliated]

How well does rammed earth work in wetter climates?

[@prepperbr]

thank you for the masterclass

[@andrewhoward7200]

This method of construction was used for the gift shop at the Sparrenburg Castle in Bielefeld, Germany- it looks dreadful, but it's fashionable I suppose! In your context it looks interesting and beautiful.

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

@@Jj-gi2uv Romans? In Germany?

[@grumbeard]

@@berserkasaurusrex4233 Yup. You know that famous building in Trier? The porta Nigra? That is a roman building. Everything south of the Rine so the deep south and Southwestern parts of Germany mostly.

[@addrock7695]

Is there a foundation? When I did stone work, it was all about the foundation, to be thick enough and wide enough to hold the massive weight of the material used. Surely a house wall must weigh a substantial amount considering the height of the walls. His mix and construction method and the engineer who signed off on the it, can’t expect it to be built on soil? I’ve seen a lot of expensive stone columns, garden walls etc, slowly tilting over, because of cost cutting on the most important and critical part of the build..

[@ralfeotto4468]

Good point.

[@lotfibouhedjeur]

And just like that, I fell in love with a wall.

[@DanBurgaud]

0:37 "... ten thousand waves.... " AMEN! that wall is BEAUTIFUL!

[@DanielleRacke]

Thank you for putting such informative videos online! My husband and I I've started the preliminary process (testing small blocks like you advised in another video) of building a rammed-earth retaining wall on our property up here in Scottsdale. Right now we are planning on making it 24in thick with rebar reinforcement & weep holes near the bottom. Any input or insight for us? Any & all input is appreciated!

[@sela.kantu777gospel]

Seu trabalho é perfeito e fica lindo essas cores!!! Parabéns!!!

[@johna202]

Really good coverage of RE in short time!

[@jameslopez958]

Great video demonstration brother! Tucson Arizona Desert is my home! ❤️

[@RoadTripTravel]

Great video! Thanks for the info. Curious why the pneumatic tamper is so expensive? That's pretty simple technology.

[@anupamsircar111]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the whole world!!!

[@TheWTFMatt]

Cool idea, thanks for uploading.

[@akalaification]

Wow bruh. You are pretty amazing with your knowledge and willingness to share. Big thumbs up. I will now probably do something like this in the future if I need to build a wall. Thank you.

[@moemediramogapi5097]

very wonderful video that helped me understand the process. keep sharing keep pushing

[@naturalbuildings]

✊🫶

[@maverickgood5204]

That was good. How long does it take to cure?

[@venkateshreddy6028]

very informative video, thanks

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏🙏💙

[@DuckshotProductions]

I have a hydraulic tamper its powerful don't get a foot under it for sure. Its just so dang heavy, yeah its lighter while floating when on but it'll wear you out. This whole process will wear you out and I had a front bucket tractor. Hire this guy to do it if you are not ready to work your tail off.

[@robmarshall5100]

The community that Dennis Weaver helped started Earthship the house still holds up today is tourist attraction made with lots of bottles and cans in a self composting toilet

[@Jack_huntakilla]

Are they able to withstand tropical climates? Beautiful work

[@vaibhavjain3234]

i loved this video ! Thank you

[@originalfallinggirl]

This s fantastic. I always wondered how this was done. You rock!

[@joehall6709]

In trying to reduce the cement percentage, have you considered flyash replacing a small percentage of the cement? Could be very economical and result in a better product.

[@TemplarX2]

A builder, a scientist and an artist, all in one. You are awesome.

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏💙

[@offthegriddownunderaustral8814]

Great Work Bro! Many hands make light work but if you only have a few hands Daisey the Dancing Lady does the job although my tamper is about 35kg and I am swinging that thing on 4.2m walls check it out.

[@gibsonbrillantes316]

Do you guys have some documents where i can see how much foundation needs to be for how much thickness of rammed earth wall you guys recommend for housing. Thank you in advance.

[@itsorganicman]

Be interested to know if this holds up in all climates or only in dry ones.

[@rjlkc4668]

Randy Bachman has one in Canada

[@turamagmz5118]

Great work and easy understand. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏

[@cyrilmoussoki3193]

Thank you for sharing. Greetings from France.

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏🙏💙

[@parvejpathan_248]

Awesome information .. nice practical video... Love from india...

[@DIARRHEA-PANIC]

02:35 generosity is a must 👌

[@Hanna-on7yu]

That is a beauty!! I wish I could do that

[@Linkolite]

This is an excellent explanation for something I’ve been interested in doing on my property. Thank you sir. :)

[@camptoursandthat4439]

Very interesting and fine looking work. I am building my own soil cement home. Good advise. Have you experimented with wetter mixes?

[@hunterwinecoff171]

I’d like to see how it holds up in a rainstorm

[@hextremelydesirable1648]

the top was loose gravel dirt and seemed it would easily just soak into it from the top, it seemed it would need longer to cure and a sealant on the top? HEX coin $0.024 PZEN coin $0.0034

[@paradisesyndicate]

Awesome Video Guys!! Thanks!!

[@nadlyn7570]

Very interesting. How long do u let it stay in the frame before you remove it?

[@dukecity7688]

Beautiful. I love it!

[@eliwayne-o5z]

Amazing. How does that hold up in a wetter climate?

[@matthiassouthwick7310]

I primarily see these being done in desert like areas. Can you do this sort of building say in a state like Missouri with the natural soil there?

[@FBA-Renaissance]

This is inspiring & beautiful ❤

[@sankarmuthaiah7536]

Great post and pl continue to share such wisdom. I understand that we go layer by layer i.e. fill one layer of the earth mix, tamp it down and then fill another layer tamp it down. If these layers are done one day it is ok that the bonding between layers will be good. But how about the bonding between layers made in a gap of 1-3 days? Could you please help me understand this? Thanks.

[@ramirogallo6484]

Amazing! I understand that you have a course where you teach how to make a fire pit, can you tell me where to access it?

[@naturalbuildings]

I don’t think the course is live any longer but you can reach out to him on instagram

[@pezgallo2406]

NICE job. Thanks.

[@GoldenAthena311]

Love it ❤thank you so much!!

[@CindySorenson-r4m]

Now bring on the guy that designs your new solar-powered batterypack hand held jackhammer & I'll be hooked for life!

[@viyoddha8840]

To construct homes using rammed earth technique, what should be ideal wall width?

[@peterbarrett5496]

Wow it's made out of dirt, pretty cool

[@SharkFishSF]

Does adding shell lime increase its strength?

[@Tysca_]

I'm curious about this myself. He said it's a limited clay content, but I was under the impression that 1/3 clay is more ideal, though my opinion shouldn't be counted for much. If the clay content is lower, line would do less, but I've found it's a good additive for my campsite, where the earth that gets rammed is much less controlled (site soil, no cement, unknown and varied composition, includes flora debris) I use a liberal application of linseed oil to produce a surprisingly good final product that feels like concrete, but will dent under enough pressure.

[@zacharybraganza3747]

Good job ❤

[@parker10hayward]

Hey there, thanks for such an informative video! I'm curious if you have any recommendations for sourcing pigment. I've made some test blocks using LaHabra stucco color coat. I estimated that I'd need about 1400 lb of pigment to complete the walls of my project (600 cubic feet). That would make the pigment by far the most expensive material used in the construction. I'm hoping that there's a better and more affordable solution. Any help is much appreciated!

[@marcoaureliomesquita4991]

Parabéns! Muito corajoso e inteligente.

[@mariocolindres6876]

the lead ratings on these are perfect i think.

[@mariocolindres6876]

NetZero Compost Blends

[@haiderimran1]

What about the rain effects? I am looking to build a barn in my agricultural area and the constant irrigation around the three sides of the house coupled with a heavy monsoon spell every summer is making me nervous. Please shed some light in the water retention related concerns.

[@elaineinmaine7971]

My Question is where does one purchase this pneumatic Tamper? It's not something you find at Home Depot or Lowe's and can rammed earth walls and homes survive very long in Sub-Arctic regions like Fort Kent Maine where Negative Farenheit Temps are common

[@Unfastened]

Good video, thanks mate

[@michellekoete7881]

Beautiful

[@blntand1932]

great, thank you very much.

[@SuperStruct]

I wonder if rammed earth gives off dust more/less than the usual ways houses are built

[@kapendesakuwaha857]

Imma try it. Thank you

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏💙

[@herveboris1142]

Hallo, i have a question about the amount of sand , gravel and clay. You also need steel between the wall

[@czependoza]

Look great Seems likeThis technologyIt's really good for the dry climate What about wet climate How does structure stand high humidityI think it about ocean front Do you have any experience building rammed earth oceanfront? We have some houses in Mexico Ocean view but nothing ocean front Ocean demolish everything.

[@wizerd2089]

I wonder this too. How does it do in 4 season climates also?

[@czependoza]

@@wizerd2089 I don't think Winter makes any difference About the integrity of the construction, Salt water high humidity It's completely different story I leave the ocean front right now And trust me everything be demolished by the Salt and high humid

[@SilvaDreams]

Considering there is concrete mixed in it holds up like a weak concrete. It'll be there for decades but steadily break apart and flake off in wetter areas, much faster in areas that freeze though because it is more water absorbent so more water will intrude and freeze unless you put some sort of water barrier on it.... And it's far from a new technology, it's ancient.

[@myxomatosisity9977]

How would you attached a wood fence to this? Is that even possible? Can you drill into the rammed earth or will you just get cracks?

[@itsmarknanez]

I love this so much!

[@naturalbuildings]

Thank you mark! 🙏

[@LearningLanterns]

So I’m interested in knowing about your foundation, do you just start your walls on the ground just like that without foundation?

[@KoreanSpy]

great video

[@brianmckenzie3985]

this guy could make an incredible pastry chef

[@naturalbuildings]

so true! :)

[@PEKozak]

I wonder if this could be used for building a root cellar. The exterior walls would function like the walls of a foundation.

[@sandrafrancisco]

i don't think i've heard of rammed earth being used to make a foundation

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

Probably not, as there is no reinforcement in Rammed Earth. The pressure of the surrounding soil would eventually cause it to collapse inward. Concrete or reinforced masonry would be the better option.

[@GoldenAthena311]

Do I need to buy cement for mixing with sand and dirt? And is rammed earth wall strong/ solid enough??

[@kenkneram4819]

I don't have an air compressor and rental for the time needed is as much as buying one. (Both out of my price range.) I'm one man building an entire house by myself, so hand tamping is out. Can you recommend an Electric tamper? I see "Demolition Hammers" with flat plates advertised and think that that may be the best solution but am concerned about shaft length being too short. What's your best advice? Update. Bought an extreme power electric Demolition hammer from AMAZON. It's heavy but will work well. Good length.

[@KarasCyborg]

how long after you pack it do you need to wait until you can remove/reuse the forms? Is it like concrete where you need to wait 7 days until it reaches 75% harness before you can add another kind of form on top the wall and start packing more material on top of it?

[@Hotbathunderstars]

I appreciate your videos! I started ramming to make a small bricks for testing like you showed us on other video. Now I’m making bench size rammed earth wall. Still with hand ramming. A question, many people seems to putting Plasticure for waterproofing. Do you mix anything like that into your mix? I wish I can come to your workshop however I’m in Australia!!!

[@mgrandrodrigo]

Thanks!

[@SpiritusBythos]

Very cool. Thank you for sharing. Ryan Long's alter ego?

[@ThomasDwyer187]

thanks for the information, amigo

[@eminka.3560]

Is this also usable for earthquake areas? Does it need steel rebars?

[@naturalbuildings]

I think earthbag or cob would be better for seismic areas. Doesn’t need steel rebar.

[@ralfeotto4468]

I was thinking the same. How would this fare in Earth quake prone areas. Would inserting rebar help and how would it bind to it?

[@eminka.3560]

@@ralfeotto4468 I saw also a project video with steel rebars in it.. But i am not sure if they really has simulated this..

[@Mohammadaleqia]

Thank you creative, but how can we make it resistant to rain and water

[@gilbertyohannesvoerman3980]

love it thanks man ;D

[@yekutielbenheshel354]

Nice!

[@stoneandearthandsailing4127]

Great information

[@minnieuge]

Gracias por compartir, thanks for share.

[@naturalbuildings]

🙏💙

[@Feellmenow]

Great job!

[@robertcalamusso1603]

Very nice

[@litafenton4795]

Can you go over foundation for these?

[@eddiearrington8086]

Thank you

[@FloridaFoodForest]

Wonder how these would hold up in wet places like the swamp I live in 😂

[@samuelsamu8340]

Shrek, is that you?! XD

[@FloridaFoodForest]

@@samuelsamu8340 Donkey?

[@annde1619]

Tabby forts and building through the south including FL, GA, Caribbean same concept except the Spanish and British used Sea shells made lime from boiled shells as we use cement and sand mix.

[@AliceHasenkohl]

They put in 5-15% cement into the soil and then it's fine in a wet climate

[@SpaceTrippy_8-8]

​@@annde1619 Thank you for the info. I live in FL and want to try this.