The Manual Interlocking Soil Block Machine: How it Works, Price, and Use Cases

Interlocking stabilized soil blocks are a more affordable technology when compared to stone blocks and regular bricks for walling purposes. But to make them, you need the manual interlocking soil block machine. It compresses soil to produce interlocking stabilized soil blocks, otherwise known as ISSBs.
We'll take a look at this machine in this video.
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - Shortcomings of regular bricks
2:00 - How does this machine work?
2:21 - 1. The Loading Compartment
3:29 - 2. Compression
4:30 - Price
6:08 - Use cases of the machine
7:43 - Outro + Watch more
Companies dealing with ISSBs in Kenya:
Makiga - bit.ly/3sqW2Sh
Okolea Building Technologies - bit.ly/2RGT9Ab
My warm regards to Slides Carnival: www.slidescarnival.com/

[@scaletownmodels]

If you're wondering (like I was) 100,000 Ksh is about $645 usd.

[@tinkerstrade3553]

Thank you. I was just going to look for a conversion table.👍

[@rbrought]

Thanks, I was wondering.

[@frankt.3840]

Thx 🤓

[@christopherlabbe398]

It was about $926 in July of the year this vid posted

[@Jbmc65]

Don’t forget unless you ship 1000 then shipping will cost a lot

[@Valkaneer]

People, look at where this video comes from and who it was made for. This machine was not designed for people with running water and electricity. This was designed for people to build themselves a house to live in where they have nothing. Go watch, The Boy who Harnessed the Wind, and you will get a good idea of who this machine was made for.

[@fredkelly4365]

Yes a good film

[@palarious]

If you had two machines bolted to the same board, you could load both and pull the lever on both, eliminating the need for the counterbalance and getting far more efficiency from the same number of crew.

[@dammuozz]

also just by extending the wooden beams towards the front of the machine instead of the back

[@reypolice5231]

I agree. Or bolt one machine down to a concrete pad.

[@DistracticusPrime]

I think the counterweight worker is by design, so that the four workers rotate jobs and get rest every rotation.

[@Berkana]

Alternatively, instead of using one huge lever, the machine could use a compound lever where two shorter levers which point in opposite directions are used to achieve the same amount of force as a much larger lever. Like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYirhYqbbKZjjbM

[@TRINITY0.0.0.0.]

Well done

[@femanvate]

Nobody will build Africa but Africans. It's great to see content come out of Kenya that involves manufacturing products by and for the average citizen.

[@user-fk8wm4gm8v]

Figured that out all by yourself did you??

[@shaunhall6834]

Agreed. So many actors looking to exploit people.

[@tsw6521]

That's the spirit!

[@DieselRamcharger]

@@user-fk8wm4gm8v theyve been waiting for americans to do it for 60+ years now.

[@jonas3333]

Why not? I'm in the U.S. and am considering it. Who can afford materials these days?

[@charlesspringer4709]

I knew what this was from the thumbnail. Graham Kerr, the "Galloping Gourmet", had a project to develop hand operated machines to make "Rammed Earth Bricks" as they were called. At a small house near me the prototype machines were tested and I saw them all the time. They were intended to be used in Africa. This was about 1980.

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

I’ve not seen or heard reference to Graham in decades. He was very popular in my household. I didn’t know he was involved in anything like this though.

[@charlesspringer4709]

@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 I think was also something in the Whole Earth Catalog in 1968 to 72. Probably 1970 which was the only I bought.

[@papparocket]

I have one addition to your process that I think will help the same machine and the same number of workers make many more bricks to day. I noticed in your video that soil for a brick was added from a shovel directly from the wheelbarrow where the soil was mixed into the machine with the same large shovel needed to mix the soil. I would suggest that a box or a bucket be made that holds exactly the amount of soil required for one brick when it is filled level with the top. As soil is added, the sides can be tapped to settle the soil (probably with the back of the shovel that is being used to shovel soil out of the wheelbarrow into the box/bucket). When a little extra soil has been added, then a straight metal bar or stick is used to scrap the soil level with the top of the box or bucket. This will ensure that the same amount of soil is added to the machine every time and so make bricks that are more uniform in size. Then as soon as the brick bring pressed is removed from the machine, the soil for the next brick has already been measured and is ready to add to the machine without having to take the time to make sure the right amount of soil has been added. This allows one worker to be measuring out the soil for the next brick while the two workers working with the machine are pressing a brick With the addition of two of these boxes or buckets (which can be made of wood or a metal) and a second wheelbarrow, the same 4 workers might be able to double the number of bricks they can make in a day since all four are performing their tasks at the same time rather than waiting on each other to finish a their tasks. The worker mixing the soil mixes up enough for 2 or 3 bricks and brings it over the worker filling the box or bucket. And then he leaves with the second empty wheelbarrow to start mixing the soil for the next batch of bricks. Then the worker filling the box uses a small shovel to fill the box, tapping on the sides as needed to settle the soil so there are no voids, but not compacting it. Once the soil is slightly above the top the box, the worker uses the metal bar or straight piece of wood to scrape off any soil mix that is higher than the top of the box. It would be good if the box or bucket is filled on a sheet of plywood so the excess soil is gathered up and added to the box for the next brick. Once the box is filled with soil, one of the two workers operating the machine picks up the filled box and carries it over the to machine while the other worker working with the machine takes the pressed brick out of the machine and places it with the other formed bricks. As soon as one of the workers removes the brick from the machine, the other worker can dump the measured amount of loose soil into the machine, smooth it out and makes it ready to be pressed. Once the brick is pressed, one worker take empty box or bucket back to the worker measuring out soil for the next brick in the second box/bucket while the other removes the pressed brick from the machine, and the cycle starts over again. Thus it can be seen that one worker is able to be mix batches of soil in one of the two wheelbarrows without having to wait for the soil to be measured into the machine. The person measuring out the soil can be doing that while soil is being mixed by the first worker and the third and forth workers are working with the machine to make a brick. And the third and fourth workers will have a measured box or bucket of soil ready for them to simply dump into the machine, and go through the steps to press the brick without waiting for either the first worker to mix a batch of soil or for the second worker to carefully measure out the right amount of soil directly from the wheelbarrow and shovel it into the machines.. I hope that you find this useful and I wish you great success in helping more people to build sturdy, long lasting, clean and safe houses with your simple machine yet effective machine.

[@philiptilden2318]

Good idea. A hopper with a chute might help; then a worker could be continually filling the hopper with the mixture. Meanwhile, the worker operating the machine would quickly judge how long the chute needs to be open in order to fill the mould.

[@ericjohnson3755]

Hooper chutes idea would work very nice. You can also use a sliding sheet of metal in the hopper set at the premeasured amount to get a consistent rate each time . Simply empty the measured amount into the mold , close the chute, remove the sliding metal sheet blocking the hooper to fill the next measured amount. Replace the block . It would take longer to read this than to do it. Love the machine and what it is for.

[@Real-American-Idiot]

TLDNR probably great advice here

[@DEGENEBABA]

Well, this is a handful lot of information.

[@shaunhall6834]

Thanks for the video! I'm looking to build my first home and this is amazing! I'm from the US and love Africa.

[@GaiaCarney]

What a great solution! I’m amazed the soil/dry cement mixture is cured so effectively with sunlight ☀️

[@dyadica7151]

The dry cement also undergoes a chemical reaction using the leftover moisture from the soil to harden and dry the interior.

[@sicks6six]

the Chinese mastered the technique while building the Great Wall, most of it was rammed earth, people think it was stone but very little of it is stone, and most of the stone you see today is newly reconstructed wall, the Chinese could make buildings 15 - 20 floors high with rammed earth, the Berbers used it, and south Americans also, anywhere with soil and sun

[@GuntherRommel]

Nice. I wanted to get into ISSB construction but life went a different path due to illness. This is the way for people to lift themselves up with minimal investment.

[@Zainab-ts4mj]

Sorry for the illness, hope you are doing great. Very true, one can invest in the machine and make some money.

[@DinDooIt]

Hope you get better soon, the afterlife isn't ready for you yet.

[@sicks6six]

The 3 moulds could be made interchangeable with 1 compression machine. Cost cutting is everything here ❤

[@kob8634]

Cutting the cost of the machine is pointless, the thing this needs is *some way* of making 250 blocks per hour with a team of three operators -- at that rate they could tripple the cost of the machine and the calculation makes more sense than this... if this was free (in its current config.) you'd still go broke using it commercially.

[@reypolice5231]

The workers in that county make a low wage a day.

[@kob8634]

The make the same relative wage to everyone else in their society so it's the same as if we were using it here -- there is no economic case to be made for this ridiculous thing unless someone is so isolated that it's worth spending an average man's hourly pay on three bricks.@@reypolice5231

[@Bobo-ox7fj]

Surely this could be built with more than one chamber and a longer arm to compensate, might even give Mr. Counterweight a role in resetting the device if the top ends up too heavy to comfortably operate with one man

[@tsclly2377]

Best to add some borax to keep the bugs out, at least for the first tier after the cement ground block tier.. I would recommend an air compressor to clean out the form or to have a steel spatula with a rounded out side that conforms to the rounds of the block form and for best non-mortar applications, st place the blocks in their final place soon after making them, but to check on the cure time before going more than three tiers high. The amount of portland cement needed can be as high as 12% and the soil has to be of a high sand content, if not the soil needs to be fired. Sandy soils can yield blocks with as little as 5-8% cement and still be stable and quite water resistant. True 'compressed earth' needs to be bug treated and have a surface mortar coating over it and in many venues not considered as load bearing.. Check your local building codes.

[@Automedon2]

Let's pretend we aren't talking about people living in remote villages with almost zero resources.

[@shimulbarua5070]

Thanks you sir... That will help me realize more project in my country...

[@peerullahhussainy7610]

Great 👍 good presentation Noma, very happy u gathered good valuable information and given to us. Appreciate, be blessed. Thank you

[@PropertyNoma]

You're welcome

[@jiderajaonarivelo6451]

Thank you Nick Mwema, for sharing. A very interesting video, especially for people living here in Madagascar where laterite is plentiful.

[@thelittlesignpost]

It appears to me that better mixing of the substrate would improve the blocks and perhaps a little more moisture, also the type of cement could improve compressive strength when hardened! An automated hydraulic press would also improve strength of the block and quality of finish! Creating a flow system for manufacturing I estimate could improve production in a factory setting and varied materials could provide for alternative colours and types! Great machine that could be taken to a higher production level of 10,000 to 15,000 blocks with one operator given the right automated setup! Great idea for simple building blocks!

[@Jbmc65]

Yes after tweaking mixture, then making a 10 brick setup at a time, using a hydraulic press of @10,000lbs . The bricks would be much stronger plus would not have to be cleaned out after every brick, maybe a quick blast of air might be needed.

[@Valkaneer]

I think the purpose of this machine is for those who don't have the money for such luxuries as a hydraulic press. This is for people who live where they have nothing but manpower.

[@coinbrokers]

excellent answer..@@Valkaneer

[@annkamau2760]

Asante, kazi mzuri sana

[@antoineoulai499]

Very pratic. THANK YOU.

[@gummyberryjoos1693]

Great video! Love this machine! I met people in Afghanistan that would benefit a great deal from this.

[@JohnViinalass-lc1ow]

...an excellent home-made production, our brother, team!...

[@standsresolute]

You guys are brilliant! I love the design and idea of interlocking bricks :)

[@clevelandexplorer2221]

This is great!! I can imagine a funnelled slide used with a high tip area to make it more efficient. Nice thought on the counterweight too

[@bruce-le-smith]

Very cool, thank you! I live in an area with lots of clay in the soil and this looks like a great idea

[@user-cw7fh9fr1i]

But I'd like to say thanks for the video it is good to know I've always wondered that about soil never really looked into it but having your video available as I scrolled through made it acknowledge all to me thank you

[@TheZombieSaints]

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing

[@weyrdereveryday3478]

Another optimization is to rebuild the machine so the finished block can be remove by a "falling floor" in the bottom that after compression can be unlocked and opened, so the stone can be pressed out in the bottom. This would also reduce the cleanup at the pressing stamp would pass through all materials ...

[@jobloggs6528]

Excellent, thanks for sharing 😊

[@quantumofconscience6538]

Adding sand, wood ash, and a bit of lime to the blocks could help them stand up to fire and heat.

[@ramkishorekataria2387]

Great man great great job

[@kaidechrailama609]

I need this technology very much so i thank u sooo much.

[@gkarangi8599]

Great job Nic

[@africanadage852]

Thanks for sharing the great information.

[@PropertyNoma]

Thanks for sharing some research on this technology David!

[@africanadage852]

@@PropertyNoma The pleasure is mine.

[@KirbyHeath-wp2db]

This is awesome!

[@vinaytalluri]

In India Bricks are burnt in Kiln filled with Rice husk(we dont use firewood here), that way our process is more eco friendly(cos that husk is a by product while producing rice).

[@shahid4426]

Great video

[@KawsikRoy]

Thank You.

[@hadelyadam2859]

Thanks for your information

[@PropertyNoma]

You're welcome Hadely

[@barakaokobba3753]

Thanks for the information

[@PropertyNoma]

You're welcome Baraka

[@yijjaj]

Great!!!

[@BlueMax333]

this way of making bricks one by one is labour-intensive

[@swedishmansion8262]

Very good video

[@the1dud]

Sweet idea! Could sell my off all my tailings this way.

[@martinmwai1853]

Its great

[@kangaveedward6105]

Looking good

[@peterlang777]

Interesting!🎉

[@abrahamkristian1975]

Terbaik .....

[@user-im8yv6ne4f]

you are right on guy....a good safe home is good life...but think multi brick press...you can probably make another machine from a thinner material.....mix the siol in a bucket with a power drill...put the mackine in a hole and dump the mix from the top....make more money...5 bucks a brick??? your call...enjoy some living ....have fun....keep up the good work...

[@00cho]

You should look at geopolymers as a material for making bricks. If the local soil has a suitable percentage of clay, then it can be polymerized with the proper alkalizing agent, resulting in a material with the same properties as refractory concrete.

[@firstname-qq3xp]

Lime. Has been done for centuries.

[@00cho]

Geopolymer tests as good or better than concrete, stronger and harder, with the added benefit of withstanding any fire.

[@Automedon2]

Oh, yeah, because that is available in remote villages. Stop being a clever American

[@00cho]

@@Automedon2 shoots for the opposite of clever, and tries to keep everyone ignorant.

[@anthonyray5515]

😮 That is very nice. Make one with two compression leavers that intertwine and counter lever helps apply even more pressure. 😊 If you increase the pressure enough, they will heat and cure from the pressure maybe? 🤗🤔

[@patrickfinnegan5202]

What an awesome idea and a great product thank you for sharing! I’m just curious if you can actually use cement or air Crete in this machine as well or even sometimes they’ll do a plastic-based liquid product to make a composite type brick. I’m wondering if any of these other types of products can be used in this device and still be exited from the device safely? Any information would be awesome! Thank you kindly my friend!

[@mikesherman8590]

Awsome

[@payncraft2523]

At only ~$700 each, business or no business, these machines can be worth the investment. Also could be worth researching a v2.0

[@payncraft2523]

4 trained workers|8 hour shift| 400-500 blocks on v1 4 trained workers|8 hour shift|1600-2000 blocks on v2.0

[@interlockbrickprasadvangal668]

Good 🎉🎉

[@Poppageno]

Back in the 1970's we called this dirtcrete, cement mixed with the local dirt to make driveway's solid.

[@StonemanRocks]

Is this your machine Nick? Did you buy it and actually make bricks with it or just copy the video and put it on you tube?

[@user-zb1ri9fn3n]

Feed with conveyor system, many people making soil mixture (mass quantity might ensure better mix ratio and specialization of skills ensuring better quality control.) (Tread powered mixing machines on a downward slant- like medieval cranes)

[@invictusvallaro3865]

Gracias bro no hablo ingles pero entendí todo mil gracias saludos desde Latinoamérica

[@bradjohnston3400]

How much pressure on the brick, would be different for smaller workers?

[@Hanna-on7yu]

Is it weather proof. It looks like there is plaster on it. Is that correct? I am looking to build school. Do you have one that produce two at a time?

[@giftmpande5775]

Do you have to water treat these blocks

[@JuanOlmoMOSAICOSCOQUI]

Very good we're in the USA I buy one

[@GeRbAnGUjUnGTiMuR]

Good 👍 good 👍 good 👍 good 👍

[@deadbird3025]

What sort of dirt will form good blocks? Do they offer a recipe for what to mix in based on soil consistency?

[@yimanphom5072]

Those enterlock manual will get from where..... I want to buy it.....

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

I know this is a pitch to buy the tools. I would not tout it being greener then using standard brick making techniques. If you're using Portland cement in the formula of the blocks then you're not accounting for the the energy in the production of it "which is significant higher" then baking bricks without it. When building taller walls do you strictly rely on weight for stabilty, or do you motar them? Are you able to reduce the amount of water usage in the manufacturing process?

[@giddymwale6971]

How many blocks per bag of cement for the small straight ones

[@no_boundaries]

Are they available in the USA?

[@vlog_magic]

Where can I get it in India?

[@OKOKOKOKOKOKOK-zn2fy]

Make a fiberglass funnel to get the dirt into the machine without spilling it around the base. Buy the machine on credit and line up a 2nd buyer for when your project is done. That way, you can get almost all of your money back out of the deal when you no longer need the machine. If you can make all of your blocks in two months, the cost to you would be minimal.

[@TheGeneralSoundwave]

👏 👏

[@innovationsforall]

We should all care. Kids especially

[@watchthe1369]

If you can, throwing lie, or cement in with the dirt as you cast it, you get waterproofing built in and maybe extra strength.

[@r0ckworthy]

I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps you can make the cleaning a lot faster and easier by having a pressure washer right there and you just quickly spray out the machine after every block?

[@Valkaneer]

Interesting, I wonder how well these blocks hold up compared to bricks. That's a pretty decent idea though.

[@TheEnigmaticmuse]

If the ratios of the materials are proper for the environment, they will hold up hundreds of years.

[@user-cw7fh9fr1i]

You could actually Mount this to a big boulder in the ground so you don't have to have the extra work or to keep it from teetering while you apply pressure

[@loubarrett6479]

I’m not convinced that stacking bricks without mortar would have the structural integrity to withstand a moderate earthquake event……..

[@troywhite6039]

Then add mortar, no ones stopping you

[@jamalgurka6299]

Thank you brother but I still have a question, please can you tell us on ratio a bag of cement inahitaji wilbaro ngpi ya mchanga, na inatoa block ngpi simiti moja? Secondly can I use Sand ama? Thank you

[@tnjogum9149]

Thanks Nick Mwema, could you share more on waterproofing these blocks since this is a common challenge due they are porous. Some of us would also try fencing.

[@PropertyNoma]

Waterproofing is achieved using a stabilizer, i.e. cement. When the blocks undergo curing, they harden and become stronger with the help of cement inside the mix. The molecules of soil and cement bond together, adding a waterproofing element to the blocks. But the blocks should be cured for 28 days for proper bonding to take place.

[@africanadage852]

@Timothy Mukua, A dissertation done by Jonathan Chew in 2012 specifically covers waterproofing of Compressed stabilised earth blocks (aka ISSB) . I suggest you google it. It covered Uganda. The short answers (1) A specific waterproofing paint (2) long roof over-hang to prevent rain reaching the brick e.g. verandah or similar (3) I would plaster outside with cement which includes waterproofing compound or splatter spray this mixture. Hope this helps as I am also interested in the technology.

[@emmanuelonyango1403]

@@PropertyNoma how much is the machine in Kenyan Shilling

[@PropertyNoma]

@@emmanuelonyango1403 It depends on discounts. From Ksh 50,000-100,000. It's a wide range

[@bashkillszombies]

7% portland cement.

[@samueloluwarotimi7997]

How many blocks will one bag of cement produce?

[@jumboegg5845]

Hi Nick. I like your idea very much. I wonder if the machine design could be made easier to operate and more compact by using a cheap hydraulic bottle jack, instead of the large heavy lever. I imagine the hydraulic jack swivelling away to one side when loading the press, and clamping the free end down when pressing the brick.

[@JohnHoranzy]

100,000 Ksh = $650 USD. Major glossed over detail is Stabilized soil which is another video by itself. Would like to see how the finished blocks performed.

[@naluwoozahadijja3730]

Hey Nick, how do I construct different bonds using interlocking block, for example the T-bond, cross and L-coners

[@PropertyNoma]

Hi Naluwooza, half blocks can be used to make corner blocks. The T-bond and Cross blocks will require their own machine that has these design mould shapes. What I showed on the video was the standard interlocking machine. Please check Hydraform for more information about corner blocks.

[@ceyhuntaqiyev]

@@PropertyNoma Hello, I want to order this and I am waiting for your answer

[@PropertyNoma]

@@ceyhuntaqiyev I currently don't sell the machine. This is an explainer video describing the machine.

[@richtintera5524]

I was born to be a counterweight guy.

[@williamsmith8760]

This video is 2 years old. Do you have an updated price list

[@RenzitoARG]

They don't use baking but they use cement for cohesion. Then it DOES damage the environment, just not in your near vicinity, but in the area where cement materials are mined.

[@user-bq1yv2sq8z]

Where the makiga is in kenya

[@Nitsirtriscuit]

Avoiding burning wood to cure bricks is completely negated by using cement. Cement is also a kiln fired product. What you end up with is still not water resistant. Might as well do regular wattle and daub or plain dirt and clay mixtures.

[@dionpennnash2986]

Do ship outside the country

[@odinmatanguihan5086]

If the use of firewood is the reason you don't want bricks so you use cement instead, I got news for you. Production of cement involves the use of fossil fuel. So you're not skipping CO2 production either.

[@mocassin92]

Pro tip, this will only work in areas that have no rain

[@troywhite6039]

You can cure and dry the brick in a shelter of cover until dry, so anywhere but a rainforest.

[@willcool713]

It looks like a great idea for fast, cheap construction. I worry about ease of repair, though. If a car hit a wall made of compressed, stabilized soil, and damaged one block only, then how could you make structural repairs without dismantling the entire wall. Leaving one block damaged compromises the strength of the whole, just as with a single weak link in a chain. I cannot think of a cheap, easy way to replace the damaged section only, not with rammed Earth, stabilized soil, or bricks. It means a patch job at best, in the event of erosion or damage. I would be wary of committing to this style of building for my house. But it does look promising for many use cases.

[@ceyhuntaqiyev]

I'd like to order this

[@tanotfernandabouet5384]

Bonjour je suis en côte d ivoire, est-ce que je peux avoir la machine manuelle en couleur verte mais qui produit 2 briques identiques en même temps. Et si possible le prix. Merci

[@loosieclocker]

Radon concerns?

[@magicone9327]

How do the blocks perform under seismic action?

[@kpkp42]

The lack of steel reinforcement rods (rebar) is a bit concerning. The rest of the project looks really good, but when you read about earthquakes, unreinforced masonry is deadly.

[@woozleboy]

An excellent example in why such countries suffer greatly in earthquakes, hurricabes, etc. No reinforcenent, eadily breaks down and exceedingly unssfe. Building codes exist for a reason. These blocks are deaths waiting to hsppen.

[@johnzach2057]

But what about insulation properties? Maybe add some EPS beads?

[@nanaramap7386]

Please where can I get the machine in Nigeria?

[@johnernst5182]

How about corners?

[@thierrycarosse5205]

Hi Nick, how can I order machine? I am in ivory coast. Thx

[@nassiwasulainashamim4271]

We need that machine to uganda

[@katadimreipanmei4228]

Sir, this hand pressed brick machine can i buy from you for us very necessaryly