Table of Contents Praise Title Page Copyright Page Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction CHAPTER 1 - The Merits of Earthbag Building Simplicity Cut Barbed Wire Not Trees Advantages of Earthbag Over Other Earth Building Methods Other Observations Concerning Earthbags The Proof is in the Pudding Thermal Performance Cost Effectiveness Empowering Community Sustainability CHAPTER 2 - Basic Materials for Earthbag Building The Dirt The Basic Components of Earth Building Soil Determining Soil Ratios Exceptions to the Ultimate Clay/Sand Ratio Soil Preparation and Moisture Content Adjust the Moisture to Suit the Job Bags and Tubes: The Flexible Form Barbed Wire: The Velcro Mortar Tie Wires Arch Window and Door Forms Velcro Plates Scabs Cradles CHAPTER 3 - Tools, Tricks, and Terminology Prior Preparation, Patience, Practice, and Perseverance Promote Preferred ... Evolution of the Bag Stand Diddling Locking the Diddles Pre-Diddled Bags (Fig. 3.6) The Humble #10 Can (Fig. 3.8) Can Tossing Sliders Tampers Hardassing Bag Whacking Suspended Brick Weights Fan Bags (Fig 3.18) The Wedge Box (Fig 3.19) Keystone Bags (Fig 3.23) Tube Chutes (Fig. 3.24) Loading a Tube Chute (Fig. 3.25-3.28) Laying a Coil Tips for Tubes HardAssing the Butt-End of a Tube Teamwork Closing in a Row Hard-Packing a Bag Scooching Construction-Size Architectural Compasses For Domes and Round Vertical Walls A Sliding Compass Arm Finally! CHAPTER 4 - Foundations Conventional Concrete Foundation System Earthbag Rubble Trench Foundation Systems Our Basic Rubble Trench Concrete Earthbag Stem Wall Stabilized Earth Stem Walls Mixing procedure for cement or lime stabilized soil. Moisture Barriers, Vapor Barriers, and Capillary Breaks Traditional and Alternative Foundation/Stem Walls Insulated Earthbag Foundation/Stem Walls Pumice/Earthbag Insulated Foundation Design Considerations for Bermed and Buried Structures Round Is Sound Site Evaluation Earthquake Resilient Foundations CHAPTER 5 - Structural Design Features for Earthbag Walls Height Limitations Lateral Support (Fig. 5.2) Height to Width Ratio Round Walls Proper Placement of Barbed Wire Interlock Corners Tube Corners Window and Door Openings Locking Row Designing Post and Beam CHAPTER 6 - Step-By-Step Flexible-Form Rammed Earth Technique, or How to Turn ... Foundations ROW 1 ROW 2 Strip Anchors Arch Forms Fan Bags Hand Shaping a Fan Bag The Keystones for a Roman Arch Installing the Keystones Keystones for a Gothic Arch Locking Row Removal of the Forms CHAPTER 7 - Electrical, Plumbing, Shelving, and Intersecting Walls: Making the Connection Introduction Electrical Installations Electrical Conduit UF Cable Power Entry Plumbing Intersecting Stud Frame Walls Shelving, Cabinets, and Stair Attachments Velcro Shelf Brackets Stairs Nichos Attaching into an Earthbag Wall After Building is Completed CHAPTER 8 - Lintel, Window, and Door Installation Lintels Window Installation Installing a Vinyl Window into an Earthbag Arch Opening (Fig. 8.5) Door Installation Designing for Future Additions CHAPTER 9 - Roof Systems Bond Beams (Fig. 9.2) Cost Considerations Introduction to Alternative Roof Systems Without Bond Beams (Fig. 9.9) Velcro Plates Vigas Vaulted Viga Roof Special Considerations for Round Houses Dirtbag Silo Dirtbag Yurts (Lightweight Compression Roof System) The Reciprocal Roof A Circle Within a Square Roof Coverings A Living Roof (Fig. 9.28) Making Use of Local Resources CHAPTER 10 - Arches: Putting the Arc Back into Architecture The Dynamics of an Arch Two Classical Arches The Roman Arch (Fig. 10.4) The Gothic Arch The First Step: Drawing the Arch (Fig. 10.6) Springline of an Arch Determining the Outward Forces of an Arch The Catenary Vaults Leaning Vaults CHAPTER 11 - Dynamics of a Dome Dynamics Traditional Dome Building Techniques Bond Beams Earthbag Domes Designing (Drafting) an Earthbag Dome Advantages of Earthbag Domes Disadvantages (depending on your point of view) of Earthbag Domes CHAPTER 12 - Illustrated Guide to Dome Construction How We Built the Honey House Corbel Simulation Test with Tubes Drawings for the Honey House Building Clay Models Dome Building: Sequence of Events Excavation Compass Installation Foundation and Stem Wall Installing Door and Window Forms Buttressing The Springline: Corbelling the Bags and Tubes Installing Arch Forms SecondStory Floor Joists Optional Eaves Dome Work Progresses Corbelling Safety Tips Closing in the Dome Directions for a Dome With a Grade Level Floor Are Buildings for Squares? CHAPTER 13 - Roofing Options for Domes Earthen Plaster Roof for Dry Climates Lime Plaster Roof Waterproofing Additives for Lime Plaster Tile and Flagstone Stabilized Earth Ferro Cement Living Thatch Roof for Domes Shingled Dome with Extended Eaves Insulated Light Wood Frame External StrawBale-Insulated Roof CHAPTER 14 - Exterior Plasters Earthen Plaster The Big Three: Clay, Sand, and Fiber Plastering Equipment Test Batches How to Prepare Exterior Earthen Plaster Procedure for Hand Application Directly Over Earthbags Application Over Chicken Wire Mechanical Application Uses of Cob with Earthbags Lime Plaster Lime Water Lime Wash Cement Plaster (Fig. 14.18) Conclusion CHAPTER 15 - Interior Plasters Fat Plaster The Key to Successful Fat Plaster is in the Variety of Fiber Sizes Additives for Fat Plaster Fat Plaster Recipe (Fig. 15.3) Application Directly Over Earthbags: You Determine How Thick Types of Sand for Finish Earth Plasters Casein Fortified Finishes Casein Binder Stabilized Finish Plaster Water-Resistant Earthen Countertops and Bathing Areas Alis Flour-Paste Fortified Finish Plaster Sealers Gypsum Lime Finishes Fresco CHAPTER 16 - Floors Sub-Floor: A Capillary Break Mid-Layer: The Comfort Zone Final Layer — The Beauty Coat Mud-Mortared Stone or Saltillo Tile (Fig. 16.8) Grout Casein-Stabilized Earthen Grout Sealing An Earthen Floor CHAPTER 17 - Designing for Your Climate Strategies for Keeping Cool Passive Solar Gain Insulation Strategies for Earthbag Walls Advantages of Bermed and Buried Structures CHAPTER 18 - The Code APPENDIX A - Build Your Own Dirtbag Tools APPENDIX B - How To Figure Basic Earthbag Construction Costs, Labor, and Time APPENDIX C - Conversions and Calculations APPENDIX D - The Magic of a Circle Resource Guide Index About the Authors Advance Praise for Earthbag Building The Tools,Tricks and Techniques This inviting, complete guide to earthbag construction is humorous, very well written, and chock full of good ideas and dynamite illustrations. When you finish reading this book there’s only one thing left to do: get out there and get to it! — Dan Chiras, Co-author of The Natural Plaster Book and author of The Natural House, The Solar House, and Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods Natural building practitioners, like Kaki and Doni, have persevered through years of trial and error, teaching, learning, innovating and becoming respected leaders of the natural building community. As Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques demonstrates, Kaki and Doni are smart, they are playful, they are wise, they are fine teachers and they have lots of get down and dirty practical experience to share about how to transform bags of earth and earth/lime plasters into beautiful and sensual buildings. We offer a deep bow to these champions of natural building, who (we now know) are doing real and transformational work; offering us doable ways to meet our basic human need for shelter in ways that are restorative and sustainable to both the earth and the spirit. — Judy Knox and Matts Myhrman, Out On Bale, Tucson, Arizona Who would have thought that you could make a beautiful, super solid and durable home using dirt-filled grain sacks? Earthbag Building shows not only that you can, but that you can have fun and feel secure doing it. With humor, integrity and delight, Kaki and Doni have distilled into written word and clear illustration their years of dedicated research and work refining the process and tools for this promising building technique. Their thorough approach and objective discussions of pros, cons and appropriate applications makes this book