Rammed Earth

DANG CLIMATE:
Tropical monsoon climate
High rainfall in monsoon
High temperature during summer
Relatively dry winter
RAMMED EARTH CONCRETE:

Rammed earth is a technique for constructing foundations, floors, and
walls using natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime, or gravel. rammed
earth structures use local materials, meaning they have low embodied energy
and produce little waste.
To start, working with rammed earth requires a strong understanding

of the climate and location in which the structure is to be built.
Typically, the rammed earth technique works best in climates with high
humidity and relatively moderate temperatures.
In colder climates, rammed earth walls may need additional insulators,

while in locations with high rainfall, they need additional protection against rain.
TERMS USED FOR RAMMED EARTH WALLS:
• STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH (SRE):
These rammed earth walls can be anywhere from 200mm to 1000mm
thick going up in 100mm increments. These walls have a high thermal
mass. They are ideal for internal walling or external walling that does
not require a high R-Value.

INSULATED STABILISED EARTH (ISE)
Insulated rammed earth walls start at 400mm thick with a 50mm
Styrofoam insert and can go up to your desired thickness in 100mm
increments. These walls achieve a 2.48 R-value. They are used for
achieving higher external wall R-value levels.
SOIL MIXTURE:
The ideal soil mixture for rammed earth consists of clay, sand and gravel
up to a size of 3cm. Sand and gravel provide the structural strength whereas
clay is the glue which holds the mixture together. It is easy to understand if we
compare it with the human body where the bones keep us straight and upright
and all ligaments, tissues and muscles connect the bones and keep them in
place.
Cement replaced the function of the clay as the glue in modern age.
Almost every soil is suitable for rammed earth. The aim is to use local soil for the
mixture. There is no existing fixed formula for the mixture since soil differs from
one place to another. Every type of soil has to be analyzed, and sand and
gravel added according to its clay content.
EXAMPLES:
STABILISED RAMMED EARTH WALLS:
This technique has been introduced in Auroville only in 1995, for the construction
of Mirramukhi School, which has been renamed as Deepanam School later on.
A slipping type formwork has been designed and developed. The panels are
lifted up and the walls are built like piers walls. Our process is similar to the
modern rammed earth system practiced in USA or Australia, but adapted to the
local context of a developing country. We ram by hand and we have
developed also some peripheral equipment.
Some sand is always added: 25 to 30 % according to the soil quality, so as to

reduce shrinkage. Cement percentage will vary with the soil quality, but in
Auroville, we always use 5 % by weight of cement.
First panels and adjusting the Ramming the second form Lifting panels of the first form to
end shutters the third one
Ramming the third form Lifting panels of the second Ramming the fourth form
form to the fourth one
Ramming a corner wall in the Adjusting panels of the second Lifting panels of the first form to
first form form of a corner wall the third one of a corner wall
Adjust panels of the Lifting panels of the

third form of a corner second form to the Ramming the fourth Ramming a long wall
wall fourth one of a corner form of a corner wall in the second form
wall
STABILISED RAMMED EARTH FOUNDATIONS:

(The soils of Auroville is mostly acidic in nature except Annapurna farm which is
alkaline . 2. The water holding capacity of the red sandy loam soils of Auroville is
medium, which implies that there could not be any problem with the drainage.)
This type of foundations is used in Auroville since 1990 for all kinds of buildings, up
to 4 floors high. The soil is excavated from the trench foundation. It is sieved and
then measured at the same time on the side of the trench. Sand always needs
to be added. In Auroville, we use always 5 % by weight of cement and the mix is
as follow: 500 litres soil + 200 litres sand = 1 bag cement (50 Kg). Note that mix is
only for Auroville soil and it has to be adapted to every situation regarding the
soil quality and the local requirements. The principle is that the mix should be
calculated for 1 bag of cement per mix.
Digging the trench and sieving the Levelling the soil in the frame to get Lifting the frame
soil in the frame 500 litres
500 litres of soil sieved from the Marking the top level of the Mark for the top level of the
trench foundation with a water level foundation
Adding 200 litres of sand on the pile Adding 1 bag of cement (50 Kg) Mixing first dry (minimum 2 times)
of soil
Adding water and mixing 2 or 3 Sprinkling water on the previous Pouring the stabilised earth mix in
times wet course the trench
Pouring the stabilised Checking the thickness of Adjusting the thickness of Ramming first with a large
earth mix in the trench the course (12 cm) the course (12 cm) rammer (200 cm2)
Ramming with a smaller Ramming the foundation Checking the quality with Penetrometer should not
rammer (100 cm2) the pocket penetrometer go in more than 6 mm
Sprinkling water on the Ramming to get a step (to Ramming to get a step (to Steps as wide as long for
previous course finish a course) finish a course) overlapping the courses
Checking the thickness of the course Ramming to get a step (to finish a
Adjusting the thickness of the course (12 cm)
(12 cm) course)
Laying some blocks as formwork Ramming the last course Filling the last course
when the top level of the foundation
is higher than the ground (site with
a slight slope)
Levelling the last course Ramming the last course

Checking the level of the last course
Scraping the top of the last course Checking the top level of the foundation from Slight ramming of the top layer
after checking with the string line the reference level after having it scraped
Section of stabilised rammed earth foundation
& composite plinth beam

Rammed Earth

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DANG CLIMATE:

Tropical monsoon climate

High rainfall in monsoon

High temperature during summer

Relatively dry winter

RAMMED EARTH CONCRETE:

To start, working with rammed earth requires a strong understanding

In colder climates, rammed earth walls may need additional insulators,

TERMS USED FOR RAMMED EARTH WALLS:

• STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH (SRE):

These rammed earth walls can be anywhere from 200mm to 1000mm

thick going up in 100mm increments. These walls have a high thermal

not require a high R-Value.

Insulated rammed earth walls start at 400mm thick with a 50mm

Styrofoam insert and can go up to your desired thickness in 100mm

achieving higher external wall R-value levels.

gravel added according to its clay content.

Some sand is always added: 25 to 30 % according to the soil quality, so as to

Adjust panels of the Lifting panels of the

STABILISED RAMMED EARTH FOUNDATIONS:

Levelling the last course Ramming the last course

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