Hi Gnosis,
The technique done in Nairobi could have been a multitude of things. It could be CEB but it could also be rammed earth or adobe.
Truth be told, I have not personally seen or tested a stabilized compressed earth brick. Since there are many different potential stabilizers it is tough to verify an average or uniform strength. Also imprtant to note is that the soil clay sand mixture that makes up the bricks must be within a certain mixture zone, otherwise the brick can be comprimised.
At the same time of course, a brick that is ok in Africa may not be ok in Toronto. This however does not mean it cant work in Toronto. With experimentation, I expect that you could get away with using SCEB in most areas of the world. What is important is that no water sits and stays in contact with the brick. They are water resistant not water proof.
I'm not sure what you are talking about as far as pre-fab... Perhaps you just need some sleep?..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnosis5
In my travels I found myself at tea in a home in Nairobi. It was stucco'd on the outside and I happened to notice a spot where the stucco had chipped off and was surprised to see packed earth.
I can see that one could also create floating foundation blocks, or decking piers if the bricks hold together as well as concrete does. Do you use regular mortar?
It's past my bedtime and I'm getting a picture of pre-fab homes using packed and/or extruded earthen building materials and modules. It works in Africa, but will it work in Toronto?
cheers!
Gnosis
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