Rammed Earth Columns Installation - Hurstmon Apartments

PROJECT UPDATE | Project Coordinator Matt Nandor talks about the installation of rammed earth columns at our Hurstmon Apartments, East Malvern site.
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​​Hurstmon is one of the only residential builds in Victoria to feature this sustainable natural building finish, installed in pre-cast form.
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The rammed earth columns were cast off-site in Mansfield by Earth Structures Group due to site access restraints. A big thank you to Earth Structures Group for allowing us to tour your facilities and see the columns being made.
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Rammed earth is environmentally friendly and is less energy intensive to produce than traditional concrete, and are an aesthetically beautiful addition to the building's façade .
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​Video: Humdinger
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​Client: Landream
​Architect: Telha Clarke
​Rammed Earth: Earth Structures Group
Engineering: Pondeljak Engineering

[@sanikads1268]

is it possible to get the construction details of the columns, please. drawings might as well help

[@Art20.30]

Good job 👍👍👍

[@kapitolgroup]

Thank you.

[@peterbeyer5755]

What type and make of formwork did you use?

[@kapitolgroup]

Hi Peter, we used Peri Duo Panels.

[@ErdeLebt]

This not rammed earth! This is just dirty concrete!!! You need probably double the amount of cement than in a nomol concrete wall! How can that be better for the environment??

[@kapitolgroup]

Hi Johannes, Precast concrete uses upwards of 20% cement, washed sand (a high-embodied energy material) and crushed rock (ditto). It requires substantial infrastructure including delivery trucks of the raw materials to the batching plant, the actual batching plant, delivery of the concrete to the precast site in massive mobile barrel mixers and often concrete pumps which need to be driven to and from the site. In contrast, the rammed earth we used, uses 7% cement and locally sourced hill granite (from a quarry 8km away from the depot). The rammed earth is built with a fraction of the infrastructure of a concrete batching plant, uses minimal fuel (25 litres per day for the bobcat and air compressor) and has no reinforcing steel unlike concrete.

[@ErdeLebt]

@@kapitolgroup Thank you for the answer. It is still not rammed earth! Rammed earth contains 0% cement! This is called stabilized rammed earth period. With 7% cement you lose the best properties of clay, indoor climate regulation, moisture absorption, reusability, etc......! Please give it the right name. Rammed earth is misleading for what you are doing. Best regards

[@bigonprivacy2708]

This person is correct. Without clay it's not even stabilized rammed earth. However incorrect on the 7% eliminating clays moisture control and breathability. Clay does not bind to cement so it maintains moisture control but at a "slightly" lower rate.