material use 154 5.

7 Rammed earth (pisé)

Rammed Earth (pisé)

Rammed earth walls are constructed by PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
ramming a mixture of selected aggregates,
including gravel, sand, silt and a small Appearance
amount of clay, into place between flat
panels called formwork. The colour of rammed earth walls is determined
by the earth and aggregate used. The ramming
Traditional technology involved repeatedly process proceeds layer by layer and this
ramming the end of a wooden pole into can introduce horizontal stratification to the
the earth mixture to compress it. Modern appearance of the walls. The stratification
technology replaces the pole with a mechanical due to ramming can enhance the overall

Paul Downton
ram. Stabilised rammed earth is a variant of appearance and can be controlled as a feature
traditional rammed earth that adds a small or eliminated. Aggregates can be exposed and
amount of cement (typically between 5 and special effects can be created by the addition
10 per cent) to add strength and durability. of different coloured material in some layers
Stabilised rammed earth walls need little and elements such as feature stones, alcoves Layers of ramming are visible as are the
added protection but are usually coated with or relief mouldings can be incorporated into chamfered corners that are required to allow the
a permeable sealer to increase the life of the rammed earth walls, at a price. Brushed finishes walls to be easily released from the formwork.
material – this varies with circumstance and help reduce formwork marks that can create
It is possible to form vertical curves, made by
there are thousands of unstabilised rammed a concrete-like appearance, but this is only
carefully ramming along a drawn guideline on
earth buildings around the world that have necessary with fine grain size ingredients.
the interior of the formwork. Horizontal curves
given good service over many centuries. Most
are also possible but require specialised, and
of the energy used in the construction of
therefore expensive, formwork.
rammed earth is in quarrying the raw material
and transporting it to the site. Use of on-site
materials can lessen energy consumed in Structural capability
construction. Rammed earth provides some
insulation and excellent thermal mass. Rammed earth is very strong in compression
and can be used for multi-storey load-bearing
The term pisé is of Latin origin from pisé de construction. Research in New Zealand
terre. First used in Lyons, France in 1562, the indicates that monolithic earth walls perform
term applied to the principle of constructing better under earthquake conditions than walls
walls at least 50cm thick by ramming earth made of separate bricks or blocks. There
between two parallel frames that are then is a five storey hotel in Queensland built of
removed, revealing a completed section of stabilised rammed earth. Rammed earth can
hard earth wall. While 50cm thick walls can be engineered to achieve reasonably high
still be constructed if desired, with or without strengths and be reinforced in a similar manner
cement, most modern rammed earth walls in to concrete, although horizontal reinforcement
Australia are built using cement at 30cm thick is not recommended and excessive vertical
for external walls and 30cm or 20cm
Paul Downton

reinforcement can cause cracking problems.

for internal walls. [See: 5.5 Construction Systems]

Interesting structural features, including leaning

Sample wall at the Environmental Research walls, have been constructed in rammed earth.
Laboratories in Tucson, Arizona. Any difficulties associated with placing and
ramming around reinforcement can be eased
Unusual finishes can be achieved by including by careful management of the construction
shapes in the formwork that can be released process and need not add significantly to cost.
after the wall has been rammed. Other
possibilities include embedding rocks and other
objects in walls for aesthetic effect.
 5.7 Rammed earth (pisé) 155 material use

Fire and vermin resistance Environmental impacts

There are no flammable components in a Rammed earth has potentially low
rammed earth wall and its fire resistance is thus manufacturing impacts, depending on cement
very good. In tests by the CSIRO a 150mm content and degree of local material sourcing.
thick Cinva-rammed earth block wall (similar to Most rammed earth in Australia uses quarried
rammed earth) achieved a near four hour fire aggregates, rather than the ‘earth’ that it is
resistance rating. There is no cavity to harbour popularly thought to be made from. On-site
vermin and nothing in the material to attract or materials can often be used but materials
support them so, its resistance to vermin attack should be tested for their suitability.
is very high.
The embodied energy of rammed earth is
low to moderate. Composed of selected
Durability and aggregates bound with cementitious material,
Perth rammed earth home.
moisture resistance rammed earth can be thought of as a kind of
‘weak concrete’. It may help to understand
Thermal mass The basic technology has been around for cement and earth products as being at different
thousands of years and there are many points on an energy continuum with earth at
Thermal mass absorbs or ‘slows down’ the rammed earth buildings still standing that are the low, and high strength concrete at the
passage of heat through a material and then centuries old. Rammed earth possesses a high end. Its cement and aggregate content
releases that heat when the surrounding generally high durability but all types of rammed can be varied to suit engineering and strength
ambient temperature goes down. Rammed earth walls are porous by nature and need requirements.
earth behaves as a heavyweight masonry with protection from driving rain and long term
a high thermal mass. [See: 4.9 Thermal Mass] exposure to moisture. It is essential to maintain Although it is a low greenhouse emission
water protection to the tops and bottoms of product in principle, transport and cement
walls. Continued exposure to moisture may manufacture can add significantly to the overall
Insulation emissions associated with typical modern
degrade the internal structure of the earth by
Insulation is about stopping heat passing reversing the cement stabilisation and allowing rammed earth construction. The most basic
through a material rather than slowly absorbing the clays to expand, however, in general, kind of traditional rammed earth has very low
or releasing it. As a corollary to its high thermal rammed earth has moderate to good moisture greenhouse gas emissions but the more highly
mass, rammed earth has only reasonable resistance and most modern Australian engineered and processed variant of rammed
thermal insulating qualities. Insulation can be rammed earth walls do not require additional earth has the potential for significant emissions.
added to rammed earth walls with linings but is waterproofing. New water repellent additives
not intrinsic to the material and, on its own, it is that waterproof the walls right through may
Buildability, availability and cost
unlikely to meet building code requirements for make rammed earth suitable for very exposed
wall insulation. However, under certain design conditions, including retaining walls, but may Rammed earth is an in-situ construction
criteria (ie. simple rectangle with north facing inhibit the breathability of the material. method. Although its buildability is good,
glass) and in moderate (not temperate) climates formwork for rammed earth demands good
it is still possible to meet the NatHERS overall site and logistics planning to ensure that other
five star performance standard. [See: 4.7 trades are not adversely effected in the building
Insulation] program. Services should be well planned in
Rammed Earth Constructions Pty Ltd

advance to minimise difficulties. After walls

Insulation can also be added within the
have been rammed in place, conduits for
thickness of a rammed earth wall but this adds
pipes and wires can be provided much as in
to its cost and changes the structural properties
other masonry construction, but may impact
of the wall. However it gives the benefit of
on surface finishes. [See: 5.1 Material Use
both excellent thermal mass and good thermal
Introduction]
insulation in the one wall whilst retaining the
desirable look, texture, feel, acoustics and Basic materials for rammed earth making are
low maintenance properties of the facing of Rammed earth lends itself to use with timber and readily available across Australia, but cement
rammed earth on each side. natural materials. and formwork may have to be transported
long distances, increasing environmental and
economic costs. Testing of local aggregates
Sound insulation Breathability and toxicity and potential mixes is advisable if not using a
One of the best ways to insulate against Provided it is not sealed with material that proprietary system.
sound is have monolithic mass – rammed is impervious, rammed earth maintains its
earth provides this very well. It has excellent breathability. Finished walls are inert, but care
sound reverberation characteristics and does should be taken in choice of waterproofing or
not generate the harsh echoes characteristic anti-dust finishes to avoid adding toxicity to the
of many conventional wall materials. [See: 2.7 surfaces.
Noise Control]
 material use 156 5.7 Rammed earth (pisé)

Proprietary approaches to rammed earth Typical details Joints and connections

help guarantee consistency and predictable
All structural design should be prepared by a Walls are built in panels of approximately 3.5m
performance but come at a cost. The cost
competent person and may require preparation in length. When a wall consists of more than
of professional rammed earth building is
or checking by a qualified engineer. Qualified one panel a recess is built into the end of the
comparable to other more conventional good
professionals, architects and designers provide first wall. The second wall then moulds into this
quality masonry construction, but it can be
years of experience and access to intellectual to lock the walls together for lateral stability.
more than twice as expensive than a rendered
property that has the potential to save house
200mm wide AAC block wall.
builders time and money as well as help ensure
[See: 5.12 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC)]
environmental performance. All masonry Fixings
Rammed earth is particularly well established construction has to comply with the Building Most conventional masonry fixings work with
in Western Australia and most states have Code and Australian Standards. For example all rammed earth walls and they usually need to be
experienced builders who understand its masonry walls are required to have movement/ set in at about twice the depth normally used
potential and limitations. Rammed earth expansion joints at specified intervals. for concrete.
construction is relatively high cost. It typically
requires high levels of control over material Footings Openings
sourcing and batching and expensive
formwork. A key element in controlling costs is Conventional concrete slab or strip footings are Openings can be made without lintels
to design walls as simple panels and to avoid generally used, subject to soil conditions. with spans of up to 1 metre in stabilised
unnecessary complexity. Traditional rammed walls (subject to strength and engineering
earth using human power for ramming and requirements). Specialised formwork can be
Frames and bond beams
simple wooden formwork can be low cost (and made to make features like pointed arch or
low energy) but this is rarely a realistic option. Complex, more elaborately engineered circular windows and the formwork can often
structures may require reinforcement or be re-used.
There are good networks in Australia including frames that work in concert with the load
a broad based national organisation, the bearing capacity of rammed earth. Simple and
Earth Building Association of Australia (EBAA), commonly built rammed earth buildings do not. Finishes
which is a not for profit organisation ‘formed to The off-form finish of stabilised rammed earth
promote the use of Unfired Earth as a building generally requires no additional finish. A clear
medium throughout Australia.’ Load Bearing Walls
water repellent coating may be needed in
Rammed earth has fair compressive strength some instances and unstabilised rammed earth
and it is common to make rammed earth a load should be protected by eaves, overhangs or
TYPICAL DOMESTIC bearing construction. render, as they are more prone to erosion. Walls
CONSTRUCTION can be wire brushed shortly after being released
from the formwork to eliminate the visual impact
Construction process Formwork of the joins between the formwork and achieve
Plywood or steel sheets are both used in an appearance closer to monolithic sandstone.
Stabilised rammed earth is made by
making formwork, which is superficially similar Selection of the ingredients for rammed earth
compacting a gravel, sand, silt, clay mixture
to the formwork used for in-situ concrete, but also affects this.
and cement between formwork in a series of
layers approximately 100mm thick. with its own specific requirements.
The traditional rammed earth was just that, and
was often dug from the same site as additional READING
the building it was destined for, but the
BDEP Environment Design Guide
materials for modern stabilised rammed www.environmentdesignguide.net.au
earth come primarily from quarries.
 SIRO (1995), CSIRO Australia Bulletin 5: Earth Wall
C
The modern process of making stabilised Construction, CSIRO, North Ryde, NSW.
rammed earth is both labour intensive and
E arth Building Association of Australia
highly mechanical, requiring the use of www.ebaa.asn.au
powered rams.
E aston D (1996), The Rammed Earth House, Chelsea
Green Publishing Company, Vermont USA.

L awson, B (1996), Building Materials and the

Propping and temporary stays are required in Environment: Towards Ecological Sustainable
the construction process and these may impact Development, RAIA, Canberra.
on other site work operations if the primary S immons G and Gray T (eds) (1996), The Earth
structure is more than just rammed earth. Walls Builders Handbook, Earth Garden Books, Trentham
are built in sections and the rise of each level of Victoria.
formwork is often visible in the final finish. Walls
Paul Downton

are built up in layers of approximately 100mm. Principal Author:

As the wall rises it is possible to take out the Paul Downton
lower portions of formwork provided the wall
has set strong enough.