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.
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 end shutters
|
Ramming the second form
|
Lifting panels of the first form to the third one
|
Ramming the third form
|
Lifting panels of the second form to the fourth one
|
Ramming the fourth form
|
Ramming a corner wall in the first form
|
Adjusting panels of the second form of a corner wall
|
Lifting panels of the first form to the third one of a corner wall
|
Adjust panels of the third form of a corner wall
|
Lifting panels of the second form to the fourth one of a corner wall
|
Ramming the fourth form of a corner wall
|
Ramming a long wall in the second form
|
