Earthbag Shelters...

[ridgid1]

and a year later ? what happend?

[voodoo]

Spent the last 2 days out at the property. Didnt go to work much, had to meet some folks. Did manage to get 2 more courses of bags in place, but thats all. No pictures. Trying to get a group together and bang this thing out, but with everybodys work schedules, its not easy. Will post once we get some real progress made.

[RossA]

This looks like a really cool project, especially since I don't have to haul those bags up the hill! Looking forward to more pics.

[West Texas!]

Very cool! I've been wanting to try Papercrete but thats way down the "list" right now! LOL

I looked at it previously...seems like a solid idea....the only issue would be calculating the amount of materiel needed...especially the paper...

[Jimbo]

Very cool! I've been wanting to try Papercrete but thats way down the "list" right now! LOL

[West Texas!]

No new pictures or updates. Was out there this past weekend, but not to work on it. Hope to spend most of next week finishing the walls. Will update then.

I'm looking forward to seeing those pics.

[voodoo]

No new pictures or updates. Was out there this past weekend, but not to work on it. Hope to spend most of next week finishing the walls. Will update then.

[Loshali]

Concrete has a very low insulative quality, unfortunately. Rice hulls have very good insulative qualities, but are extremely heavy, too heavy for insulating a ceiling. Plus you have to deal with pests eating the rice residue left in the hulls. But you'd have that problem with any natural insulation. Straw bale is a very good insulator, when covered with plaster or cob. Styrofoam makes great insulation, as well as chicken feathers. Feathers have been used in quilts for centuries, so why not as insulation? Paper (cellulose) can be used but has to be sealed extremely well. I've even read of plasters and insulation being made of cow dung, imagine that.


I have some websites on what materials have good insulative qualities on my computer at home. I've been researching cob dwellings extensively. Most cob sites do have some info on earthbag and earthship housing.
I'll post this evening.

Lo~

[West Texas!]

Any more pictures of the Earthbag project? Update?

[voodoo]

I have figured around 600 bags to finish this building. I have bought bags, online and locally, here on the coast. Typically 1000 bags runs about $350 shipped. I did score some good deals on eBay, 500 for $96 shipped, but they are a little smaller. They will be used for the courses above 5'. I am going to stucco the outside with normal, dyed stucco. The inside, I am going to experiment with papercrete. (cement, sand & paper) Filled size of bags I am using are 26x15x4 & 23x13x4. Once stuccoed, walls will be around 17" thick!
I drove 24" pieces of re-bar thru the first 3 courses of bags. Over-kill by what I have read, but I like the added insurance. As for using sandbags underground, yes, I assume you can. One problem with anything built underground, is if the ground shifts violently, (earthquake) It may collapse. I have mapped out 3 locations on my property for these buildings. As long as I like the end result of this first one, plans are for a 18' and 24' ones as well. All will be tied together with walkways. Think I forgot to mention, there will be a loft in this shelter. I am going up 7' then putting joists in. Will continue up 2' more, and then put on a 5 sided roof to try and keep a somewhat round appearance. No plumbing in this one. This will eventually be a bedroom. I have several military wood/coal stoves, and plan on putting one in this building. Will just run the vent pipe out the roof. Hows that saying go, " If I showed it to ya, I'd have to kill ya..."

[Brosia]

keep the pictures coming!

what about water/plumbing/heat? any sort of amenities going into this building?

[West Texas!]

How many sandbags did you project for your project?
Where did you find the sandbags, Ft. Davis or around your place?
Are you going to "plaster" the outside with anything like a stucco, adobe, etc?

Also, can I come and see it ( please, please, please!!!!).....Rusty and I were talking about this building method last weekend.

[Visinedrops]

This is awesome! What is the total amount of bags necessary to complete such an endeavor? Also, it seems possible to adjust the construction of this project to allow it to be partially underground, keeping the temperature lower in the summer for arid and semi-arid areas.

[ridgid1]

yea I think the hat bails would be alot less permanent though... expecialy if you put some ready mix concrete in the bags, the moisture from dirt, clay and rain will make that place hard as a rock! I would prob. get some river stone and some morter and incorborate a fire place also.... Im sure the walls of this place will long last the modern roof...

[voodoo]

The bottom course of bags are filled with sand and gravel from the stream bed 200' down the hill. (The guys loved carrying them up the hill!) All remaining courses are/will be dirt from the site. The only problem thus far, is all the rocks. Just to level out that small circle took 3 guys, 10+ hours with picks, shovels and crowbars. They pulled some rocks that went over 200lbs out of that little area. Now that the digging is done, it will go much quicker. My daughter and I were digging in a different spot and hit lots of clay. We will be mixing it in with the site dirt. It is a big operation for such a small building. There were 5 of us, digging, carrying, sifting etc. We could have used 5 more. This site is about 100' feet above the road, and there is no way to even get a 4 wheeler up there. Gotta carry everything up. Hope to go back out there next week to work some more.