The selection of soils is critical in the outcome of any rammed earth wall. We have a good supply of soil available, but you may wish to source your own material locally.
Good rammed earth soil is basically good road base, so the best place to start is usually the local quarries. It all depends on the final colour you are seeking. If you live in the city, recycled crushed clay bricks is a sustainable option.
We provide a service that involves testing soils at several different labs. We send soils to a soil Engineer to establish the optimum blend of materials and additives. This may include sand, clay, oxides, curing additives, silicon, recycled brick, cement and lime.
We then send the sample to a geotech soil testing facility to test for final strength, or compressive capacity. This laboratory also tests for level of shrinkage of soils, which helps us control cracking of walls.
The final test is the erosion test which proves that the walls will with stand driving rain. These tests give owners, engineers and councils confidence in Rammed Earth. Rammed Earth can last thousands of years and will outlast many proprietary building products.
Call us for more information about selection of soils.
