32 RESUSTAIN
By Sande Masidza
Rammed Earth: An ancient method of Construction with temporary interest.
Fig. 1. Mansion.M (2017) Fig. 2. Mansion.M (2017)
Rammed earth construction is the process of compressing a sand mixture into a hard material. It is often confused with the more widespread method of adobe construction. Although they are both methods of construction based on the mix of types of soil with waterproofing additions, there are also some differences. One difference is that adobe requires dry weather to cure the bricks for wall construction, whereas rammed earth is able to be produced also in wet weather. This makes rammed earth a climate adaptive method, and the development of rammed earth in rainy climates led to a construction method similar to constructing a sand castle using formwork. A mixture of soil and cement is compacted into
forms, and later, when the forms are removed, the solid earth walls remain. "A material usually consisting of clay, sand, or other aggregate (such as sea shells) and water, which has been compressed and dried; used in building construction.� (Hill, 1975)
The Resurgence And Evolution Of
RAMMED EARTH TECHNOLOGY In Sustainable Design
