All about Rammed Earth

Rammed Earth is one of the oldest building materials known to man, having been used for centuries. Modern technology and machinery has greatly enhanced the durability and facilitated the ease of construction of this ancient building technique.

Today rammed earth is a variation of mud brick or adobe type construction and can be completed with a far wider range of soil types. Many people refer to Rammed Earth today as Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE) building which in essence means the soil or building material is stabilized and made a lot more durable by incorporating the bonding agent cement into the soil mix.

The finished result is a spectacular building medium which has a surface array of beautiful stratified ramming lines with a unique and individual pattern throughout. The wall finishes can be varied to accommodate the home builder’s desire, whether it is a rustic traditional type finish or an almost flat smooth finish interrupted only by faint formwork lines. These lines are sometimes described in architectural circles as the humanity lines.

Modern Rammed Earth compares favorably with all masonry type materials such as burnt clay bricks and concrete blocks. The compressive strength is equivalent to any of these traditional building products. Rammed earth achieves far better strength than poured earth and a much improved appearance. Modern construction and form work techniques and soil testing methodology, if followed correctly, will almost ensure that there is no cracking or erosion of walls.

There has been a revival in the popularity of Rammed Earth building due to the stabilization process and the realization that Australia is rich in reserves of decomposed granite deposits suitable for rammed earth as opposed to adobe which requires higher clay content and is thus prone to cracking. Australia has an abundance of lateritic soils ideal for Rammed Earth and all over regional and rural areas property owners are finding suitable deposits of soil are either on their own properties or not too far away.

Due to the insulation benefits of Rammed Earth, the wine industry is also showing considerable interest in this building style for the construction of wineries and cellars. Not only is it an aesthetically pleasing building material but also has thermal qualities conducive to the fermenting of and production of excellent world quality wines.

Rammed Earth walls have unique design flexibility and as well as complete buildings are the perfect solutions for wind breaks or excellent noise reduction barriers. They are ideal as garden wall features or estate entrances and can add a personal touch to any environment.

Contact us today to provide a quote for your rammed earth project. Plans and specifications must be provided for quotes.

Photo above is A Rammed Earth Australia build - Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Thurgoona, NSW