Earthbag Building

[914light]

wow  !! very cool ...I want one !!

[turkeydance99]

I found the subject matter very interesting, but the editing was too wacky. How about some smooth transitions instead of all the weird attempts to create a work of art.

The purpose is to educate the viewer not dazzle them with your editing prowess.

[PsykoIntroxp8thcywe]

Muy interesante tipo de construccion por su integracion en el medio ambiente donde se realizan,autenticas obras de artesania,lo que personalmente entiendo que pudiera ser la linea de construcciones que en este planeta necesitamos.love.

[Houshalter]

To bad this is illegal in most places. Thank your benevolant governments.

[hartworks7]

@Houshalter Progress IS being made. The plans have to be approved in many places, and this is happening more now.

[demerc]

@Houshalter Civil disobedience anyone?

[MegaSoumynona]

@Houshalter yeah, thats why I built mine off the grid.

[hartworks7]

If properly engineered they can hold up very well to earthquakes, and flooding should generally not be a problem. After all, sandbags have been used for decades for flood control!

[BlankBrain]

How well do these homes hold up in an earthquake? Do they maintain structural integrity if flooded? These are cool homes, but the application may be limited. I'll look at the website.

[elgatomanchado]

HOLA QUISIERA SABER DE QUE MATERIAL SON LAS BOLSAS QUE UTILIZAN PARA LA ESTRUCTURA...CON EL TIEMPO NO SE DEGRADAN?NO SE CORRE RIESGO DE QUE SE DESARMEN O UTILIZAN UN REVESTIMIENTO ESPECIAL AL FINALIZAR LA OBRA?GRACIAS .LAURA.ARGENTINA.

[hartworks7]

@elgatomanchado

Se usan el mismo tierra como adobe. Es importante enjarar las bolsas para pretectarlas porque el sol puede deteriorlas. Puede enjarar con adobe o con cemento.

[jmurr06]

Nice homes but the thing i think is really key is the use of previously used items (rubber/glass/plastic) incorporated into the house design to keep it out of landfills.

[jotapedro10]

boa seleção de casas

[boloco12]

I am wondering how hard it is to get a building permit here in washington state, I have seen some dome homes but I do not know if htey are sand bag homes, some are built into the ground and partially on the side of a hill.. hmmm what do you think, hartworks?

[hartworks7]

@boloco12

There have been a few permitted earthbag homes around the country, but the concept has not been "codified" generally by authorities. Most likely it would be necessary to employ a licensed engineer to sign off on any plans.

[Conspiracy2Riot]

why can't i post anything here!!!

[10yearvet]

@hartworks7 Speaking as a carpenter who is really pissed off with the direction construction has taken over the last 40 years I would say "codified" means they haven't found a way yet to complicate this type of construction enough to require 50 inspectors and 100 permits in order to make it cost 20 times what it should.

[Conspiracy2Riot]

@boloco12  check earthenhand com in portland oregon

[gogogodancer]

@boloco12 fiberglass yeurt? option

[FilthyRichPrick1]

suitable only for dry climates + earthquake free areas ..i.e. part of middle east

[Dflows333]

Iam also interested in building a home like this in chicago, any tips on how you got the permits to build this way? I know in chicago this would go against all the building codes.

[hartworks7]

@Dflows333

I suspect that it would be an uphill battle to get approval in Chicago, just because earthbag building has not been codified in that way. My best advice would be to employ a licensed structural engineer who is willing to sign off on any plans.

[smokedaddyo]

@Dflows333 well if its in the chicago area you just need to "grease the palms" of a building inspector. is stan kaderbek still around? : )

[hartworks7]

@pleabargain Yes you could use some sort of crane or lift for the bags, but a simpler way is to fill the bags in place with smaller buckets.

[hartworks7]

@pleabargain Yes you could use some sort of crane or lift for the bags, but a simpler way is to fill the bags in place with smaller buckets.

[modelsax]

ESTA IDEA ESGENIAL,VOY A PONERLA EN PRACTICA INMEDITAMENTE

CONSTRUYE TU CASA CON SACOS DE TIERRA

[Prohumani]

ABSOLUT GENIAL !! :))) FAVORITE

[niamh2739]

how are these homes built to support a second level?  what about plumbing/water disposal for toilets and showers? How long/much does it usually take to build a med/large sized home? what exterior covering is best for florida weather? will the cob hold up in hot/humid/rainy weather?or is cement needed? what about flooding?

how deep do you have to dig to hit the right type of soil? what about the clay?

[Tobsy1981]

I'm sold.

do you remove the bag before applying plaster?

I've seen it done that way but I figured the plaster would adhere to chicken better than the bare fill.

[hartworks7]

@Tobsy1981

Sometimes the bag material is burned off if, but I don't recommend this, as it helps hold everything together. And yes, using a mesh embedded in the plaster also helps hold it all together.

[iambebabeba]

Is there a limit on size structurally ? I want to build a 3,000 sq ft earthbag or cob house because i have a very large family. 2 story if possible. Earthbag looks like it would be faster. Would it?

[hartworks7]

The size limit depends partly on the design, especially with domes, which should not exceed about 20 feet in diameter. Otherwise, if a building is well engineered, it could be as large as you want, even allowing second stories in some instances.

[bret354]

what is the r value of a wall like this?

[hartworks7]

It depends on what the bags are filled with. Ordinary dirt is not very insulating, but because the walls are so thick they do tend to stabilize interior temperatures. If the bags are filled with crushed volcanic stone, rice hulls or perlite, the R-value can be quite high, perhaps R-30.

[MonyMG1959]

Is people like this they need in Haiti...Helping to build new houses

[onetoughtechie]

@MonyMG1959 yes very good comment and idea! these would whip haiti into shape in no time

[Fight4Privacy]

These buildings will be a life savor in poor countrys or those places which have just had a major enviromental disaster. Such as Haiti.

[AKHumanist]

@Fight4Privacy Buildings like these are the reason so many people died in Haiti. Hartworks may have a lot of Heart, but that will not prevent unreinforced earthen buildings from collapsing in an earthquake. This building type is only sustainable if you consider people expendable.

[semeestanhinchando]

@AKHumanist Supercob techniques are approved by the California's building institute against earthquakes.

As you can see, the bags are welded together by wires.

[AKHumanist]

@semeestanhinchando I'm not against earth as a building material if its limitations are accounted for in the design. There were several building styles in the video however, and not all of them appeared to be reinforced. That's fine as long as people understand what they're looking at... after all, this isn't a technical video: it's an inspirational video. I do love the forms these buildings can take, and this video shows some nice forms.

[JohnLennon100]

I love that idea ... my only concern is ...are you able to incorporate electric wiring, and piping? or do you have an alternative for that? What do you use to cover the exterior? Cement? and finally ...Has it been tested against a car crashing against the walls, or la lateral force simulating a seismic force? Just want to know because I like the project!! Thanks!

[Achbar]

How cheap can you make  these homes?

[hartworks7]

I made a small dome of about 14 ft. interior diameter, with a loft, solid door, 4 circular windows and a stove pipe for about $1,000 US. That was with buying new bags and scoria to fill them. Used bags filled with local soil would be less expensive.

[keytoothed]

@Achbar "Dirt-cheap."

[Achbar]

That is what I am talking about, i would love to learn to build one of these homes

[moxee33]

love the video and the music too :) can you tell me the name of the artist? thank you :)

[hartworks7]

The music credit is posted in the credit at the end: "Havana Manana" by Harvie and Eye Contact.

[moxee33]

thank you :)

[fionaazreal]

What are the bags made of? And why bother using bags at all? Cob (or adobe) building doesn't require bags; just earth, water, straw, and human energy.

~Jen

[hartworks7]

The most common bags are made of polypropylene, but jute, hessian, or burlap are alternatives. The reason to use the bags is because it is considerably easier to fill and place the bags than to make the adobe blocks or mix the cob to make the walls. Also the bags allow much greater diversity of choice in what to fill the bags with; they can be either insulating or not, depending on what they are filled with.

[docchocobo]

As this becomes more and more common, you will see companies making the bags and other components and it will get much more expensive if you do it prebought. Stuff almost always gets more expensive when it goes from the fringe to the mainstreme and all the yuppies start to do it. However, I love the concept behind it. Very easy for a person to learn and adapt to their needs, not to mention that for the time being, it's "dirt Cheap". Please excuse my spelling, Its the message that counts.

[LabRat6619]

They are like Hobbiton

[TaterMits]

A nice professionally made video, but it might've been a good idea to calm down the hyperkinetic editing and let us see the buildings a little better. I almost got motion-sick trying to focus on anything for more than a second or two...

[amishjim]

Thats cuz its an animoto slideshow automatically edited

[MrCamerononicus]

@TaterMits Unfortunately the point of this video is to sell a full-length video, not necessarily to freely share important information with a community of like-minded revolutionaries.

[cybersilvermoon]

So what happens if they catch fire?

And what about mice... ?

[hartworks7]

Since you plaster them on the outside, they are highly unlikely to catch fire. If some part did catch fire, like a wooden door for example, the whole house would be far less likely to burn than conventional kinds.

There were a LOT of mice where we lived in our earthbag house, but we had a mouse in the house once in the several years we lived there, and we figured out that it might have gotten in where the earthbag structure met the wood framing of our solar greenhouse that was part of our home.

[Tantoin]

Hi can you explain more about what you mean by having a lot of mice in your earthbag house.

Do you still live in it and do you still have mice now?

Have you heard of chagas disease, this is the main reason I have heard it is very dangerous to live in earthen buildings (in latin america) as it is almost always related to living in an earth building.

Do you EBB is the best method for tropical wet climates for poor?

Are you familar with compressed earth blocks what do you think about them?

[hartworks7]

We only one mouse once.

We sold that house.

Chagas desease is commonly transmitted to humans by the assassin bugs. An infestation especially affects unkempt dwellings and poor populations. Earthbag buildings get well plastered and the houses are usually clean.

Earthbag building work well in most climates, and for poor people.

Compressed earth blocks require a particular type of soil and a machine to produce. They are similar to adobe blocks and can provide excellent shelter.

[Tantoin]

Oh ok, thanks.

[pirubim]

About Chagas disease: the "assassin bugs" procreate and live in the cracks that appear by the shrinking of the earth in earthen walls. The chance of that happening in a earth-bag building after curing and plastering is very, very small.

[ometec]

catch fire?

[sarreha1]

hello i am from Bosnia, and i like this very much.

i have plans to build one small house for rest, and i have one question.

witch material you use to cover dome (earth bag) outside and inside. thanks

[hartworks7]

There are several choices for plastering an earthbag dome. I used papercrete, made from repulped paper, cement and sand on the dome in the video. You can also use stabilized earthen plaster, lime plaster, or ordinary cement stucco.

[NeonBKP]

that is a very cool and inspiring video! how much would a typical building like that cost?

[hartworks7]

The cost of earthbag building depends on many factors, such as size, complexity, amount of hired work, amenities, etc. In general earthbag building can be much cheaper than conventional building, since much of the raw material is dirt cheap. If you build domes then you can eliminate the cost of roof materials. Earthbag buildings do not need an expensive concrete foundation, saving even more money.

[Suge212]

@hartworks7 Can these be built underground. As in, once built recoverd with earth? Can you just use plain old dirt in the bags or do you have to mix the dirt with some kind of cement?

[hartworks7]

There have been a few cases of domes being covered with enough earth to create a living roof, but I am not aware of any having been buried very deeply. Earth that has some clay in it so that it forms hard blocks when dampened and the compacted is best. Cement can also be added to sandy soil to stabilize it.

[Steinebach922]

Are these suitable for wet environments? I know cob is not recommended but what about these? They seem like a good alternative and still get that "cob" feel.

[hartworks7]

Yes, earthbag buildings do fine in wet environments, as long as attention is put on providing an adequate roof or waterproof plaster over the bags.

[cultureartist]

Actually, cob is quite suitable for wet climates, if done properly. One of the biggest hotbeds of cob building is the Pacific Northwest.

[hartworks7]

Yes, am sending you a personal message.

[saacbe]

Hi, I live in Guadalajara, and I am really interested in building a house like this, but I have so many questions, would it be possible to talk with you in person about it? thank you