AFFORDABLE WALL CONSTRUCTION

MUD IS A LIQUID OR SEMI LIQUID OF WATER AND SOME COMBINATION OF SOIL, SILT AND CLAY. MUD, IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, REFERS TO WET PLASTER, STUCCO, CEMENT OR OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

COB MUD WALL RAMMED EARTH MUD WALL WATTLE AND DAUB MUD WALL ADOBE MUD WALL STABILISED BLOCKS MUD WALL

TYPES OF MUD WALL

TYPES OF MUD WALL

COB MUD WALL

COB MUD WALL

RAMMED EARTH RAMMED EARTH MUD WALL MUD WALL

WATTLE AND DAUB DAUB MUD WALL MUD WALL

WATTLE AND

ADOBE MUD WALL

ADOBE MUD WALL

STABILISED BLOCKS MUD STABILISED BLOCKS MUD WALL WALL

COB MUD WALL

A LARGE LUMP OF CLAY IS ROUGHLY MOULDED INTO A BALL.

A ROW OF THESE COBS OF MUD ARE NEATLY PLACED SIDE BY SIDE.

SIDES ARE SMOOTHENED AFTER 3 OR 4 LAYERS.

RAMMED EARTH MUD WALL

AN IMPROVED TECHNIQUE COMPARED TO COB & IT REGULARISES THE THICKNESS & IS MORE COMPRESSED STIFF MUD IS THROWN IN BETWEEN TWO PARALLEL PLANKS HELD TOGETHER AND RAMMED DOWN USING A RAM ROD IT IS BETTER TO FOLLOW A BONDING PATTERN THE THICKNESS OF THESE WALLS ARE AROUND 600mm BUT RECENTLY WALLS BUILT FROM EARTH STABILISED WITH CEMENT ARE AROUND300 mm

WATTLE AND DAUB MUD WALL

THIS IS USED PARTICULARLY FOR MEETING HOUSING REQUIREMENTS IN AREAS PRONE TO CYCLONES OR EARTHQUAKES. WATTLE IS USED TO FORM THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE AND MUD IS USED TO DAUB THE WALLS.DURING THE RAINS, THE DAUB MAY BE WASHED AWAY BUT IT IS EASILY REPLACED. THE WATTLE CAN WITH STAND ANY EARTH TREMORS. THE WATTLE IS MADE BY WEAVING THIN BRANCHES (EITHER WHOLE, OR MORE USUALLY SPLIT) OR SLATS BETWEEN UPRIGHT STAKES. THE WATTLE MAY BE MADE AS LOOSE PANELS,SLOTTED BETWEEN TIMBER FRAMING TO MAKE INFILL PANELS, OR IT MAY BE MADE IN PLACE TO FORM THE WHOLE OF A WALL.

ADOBE MUD WALL

ADOBE BRICKS ARE MADE BY BLENDING TOGETHER SOILAND WATER INTO A GOOPY MIX. OFTEN STRAW OR OTHER FIBRES ARE ADDED TO HELPREDUCE CRACKING.CAN CUT HOLES IN NEWLY CAST BRICKS FOR REINFORCING OR SERVICES ONCE THEY ARE FIRM ENOUGH YOU LIFT THE BRICKSONTO THEIR SIDES, TRIM THEM, AND THEN STACK THEMTO AIR-DRY AND CURE A SMALL BOX OR MOULD OF WOOD OR METAL IS USED AND THE STIFF CLAY IS SQUASHED INTO THE MOULD AND THEN TURNED OUT TO CURE AND SLOWLY DRY.

USE SAME AS BURNT BRICKS OR CEMENT BLOCKS

HASAN FATHY

PROJECT : NEW GOURNA VILLAGE MOSQUE LOCATION : EGYPT

MATERIAL USED: MUD BRICKS NEW GOURNA VILLAGE IS LOCATED IN LUXOR ON THE WEST BANK OF THE NILE RIVER, WITHIN THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY OF ANCIENT THEBES IN EGYPT. THE VILLAGE WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT BETWEEN 1946 AND 1952 BY THE FAMOUS EGYPTIAN ARCHITECT HASSAN FATHY (1900-1989). IT WAS CREATED TO SHELTER THE COMMUNITY OF OLD GOURNA (GOURNII ) WHO HAD LIVED ABOVE THE TOMBS IN THE ANCIENT CEMETERY OF THEBES AND WHOSE RELOCATION WAS CONSIDERED AS A SOLUTION TO REDUCE THE DAMAGES TO THE PHARAONIC TOMBS. THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW GOURNA VILLAGE CONSIST OF: ITS REINTERPRETATION OF A TRADITIONAL URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL SETTING, ITS APPROPRIATE USE OF LOCAL MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES IT DEMONSTRATES THE ERA OF "MODERN MOVEMENT" THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL COHESION COULD ALSO BE MET WITH VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURES, LOCAL MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES.

1. 2.

ROOF OF THE MOSQUE SHOWS THE USE OF DOMES FOR COOLING

THE INTERIOR VIEW OF THE DOMES

ADOBE MUD WALL

ORDINARY MOULD

ONE TIME MOULD FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS

STABILISED MUD BLOCK

20% - 30% CHEAPER THAN FIRED BRICKS MEDIUM TO GOOD STABILITY

GOOD RESISTANCE TO HURRICANE AND RAIN

LABOUR INTENSIVE SUITABLE FOR ALL CLIMATES

TECHNOLOGY BASED ON SELF-HELP MET

BRICK JALI
JALI - FORMERLY PIERCED STONE PANELS IS ONE OF INDIAS OLDEST METHODS OF LETTING INTO A BUILDING FILTERED LIGHT AND VENTILATION BUT MAINTAINING PRIVACY AND SECURITY. BRICK JALI CAN FUNCTION IN THE SAME WAY EITHER AS PANELS OR AS A COMPLETE LOAD BEARING WALL.

STONE WALLS

ADVANTAGES
NATURAL WHEN IT COMES TO ADORNING YOUR GARDEN, STONE AMALGAMATES NATURALLY INTO THE BACKGROUND AND SCENERY VIS--VIS OTHER MATERIALS SUCH AS BRICK, WOOD, OR VINYL. EXUDING A NATURAL LOOK, STONE BLENDS PERFECTLY WITH THE EXTERIOR AMBIENCE OF A YARD OR A GARDEN. DURABILITY ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT OF STONE WALL IS ITS DURABILITY. ONCE INSTALLED, IT IS LIKELY TO LAST A LIFETIME! REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CHANGES, ACCUMULATED SOIL PUSHING AGAINST IT, KIDS CLIMBING ONTO IT, THE STURDINESS OF A STONE WALL REMAINS SUPREME. STONE ALSO DOES NOT BECOME UNDERMINED OR WORN OUT BY MOISTURE MAINTENANCE UNLIKE OTHER TYPE OF WALLS OR WOODEN FENCES, STONE WALLS ARE FREE FROM THE HASSLES OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. NEITHER YOU NEED TO SEAL THE STONES NOR PAINT THEM TO KEEP THE FINISH INTACT. THE NATURAL LOOK IS THE BEAUTY OF THE STONE WALLS AFFORDABILITY UNLIKE OTHER MATERIALS, STONES ARE MUCH AFFORDABLE. IN FACT, YOU CAN GET ALL THE STONE FOR YOUR WALL FROM A RIVERBED ITSELF, CUTTING DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY ON YOUR EXPENSES. AND YOU WILL NOT EVEN HAVE TO EXERCISE LATER ON THAT EVENING VARIETY THINK INNOVATIVELY, AND YOU HAVE IT WITH STONE WALLS. AVAILABLE IN AN UNIMAGINABLE RANGE OF SIZES AND SHAPES, STONES PROVIDE AMPLE SCOPE WHEN IT COMES TO EXPERIMENTING WITH CREATIVITY. FURTHER, THERE IS WIDE SPECTRUM OF COLORS TO CHOOSE FROM AS WEL CONSTRUCTION OF A STACKED STONE WALL CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST ANY WEATHER BECAUSE THERES NO MORTAR AND THE MATERIALS ARE ALL NATURAL. STACKED STONE WALLS ARE THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS CHOICE BECAUSE THE MATERIALS ARE NON-TOXIC AND 100% RECYCLABL

GLACIAL DEPOSITS ACROSS IOWA CONTAIN AN ABUNDANCE OF BOULDERS AND COBBLES OF IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS TRANSPORTED VIA GLACIERS FROM MINNESOTA. IN AREAS WHERE THE BEDROCK IS DEEPLY BURIED, THESE EASILY ACCESSIBLE FIELD STONES HAVE BEEN UTILIZED FOR BUILDINGS, PRINCIPALLY HOUSE AND BARN FOUNDATIONS. THE FINE EXAMPLES OF BOULDER CONSTRUCTION SHOWN HERE IS FOUND AT IOWA LAKESIDE LABORATORY, A STATE UNIVERSITY FIELD STATION FOR NATURAL HISTORY CLASSES AND RESEARCH PROJECT : MODERN STONE HOUSE,BIJAKA ARCHITECT : DVA ARCHITECTS CONSTRCUTION MATERIAL : STONE(BRAC STONE)

MEDIEVAL DRY STONE BRIDGE IN SWEDEN. THE LION GATE OF THE MYCENAE,ACROPOLIS IS DRY STONE

CONSTRCUTION METHOD

1.

DRY STONE WALL CONSTRCUTION METHOD

Method-1
ONE TYPE OF WALL IS CALLED A "DOUBLE" WALL AND IS CONSTRUCTED BY PLACING TWO ROWS OF STONES ALONG THE BOUNDARY TO BE WALLED. THE ROWS ARE COMPOSED OF LARGE FLATTISH STONES. SMALLER STONES MAY BE USED AS CHOCKS IN AREAS WHERE THE NATURAL STONE SHAPE IS MORE ROUNDED. THE WALLS ARE BUILT UP TO THE DESIRED HEIGHT LAYER-BY-LAYER (COURSE BY COURSE), AND AT INTERVALS, LARGE TIE-STONES OR THROUGH STONES ARE PLACED WHICH SPAN BOTH FACES OF THE WALL. THESE HAVE THE EFFECT OF BONDING ,GREATLY INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF THE WALL. THE FINAL LAYER ON THE TOP OF THE WALL ALSO CONSISTS OF LARGE STONES, CALLED CAPSTONES, COPING STONES OR COPES. AS WITH THE TIE STONES, THE CAP STONES SPAN THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE WALL AND PREVENT IT BREAKING APART.

2.

3.

MORTARS TONE WALL CONSTRCUTION METHOD

Method-2
BOULDER WALLS ARE A TYPE OF SINGLE WALL IN WHICH THE WALL CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF LARGE BOULDERS, AROUND WHICH SMALLER STONES ARE PLACED. SINGLE WALLS WORK BEST WITH LARGE, FLATTER STONES. IDEALLY, THE LARGEST STONES ARE BEING PLACED AT THE BOTTOM AND THE WHOLE WALL TAPERS TOWARD THE TOP. SOMETIMES A ROW OF CAPSTONES COMPLETES THE TOP OF A WALL, WITH THE LONG RECTANGULAR SIDE OF EACH CAPSTONE PERPENDICUL

1. 1. MAKE THE MORTAR MIX FROM ONE PART CEMENT AND TWO PARTS SAND. 2. SOME STONES SHOULD BE LAID AT RIGHT ANGLES TO STRENGTHEN THE WALL ACROSS. SAVE FLATTEST STONES FOR THE TOP 3. BEFORE APPLYING MORTAR, BRUSH WATER ON THE STONES TO AID IN THE BINDING. USE ENOUGH MORTAR TO FILL THE JOINTS COMPLETELY 4. MIX COMPLETELY WHILE DRY, THEN ADD WATER 2.

5. AFTER LAYING A SECTION, POKE OUT MORTAR FROM BETWEEN THE STONES TO A 3. DEPTH OF A HALF TO THREE INCHES. WHEN BUILDING A RETAINING WALL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEAVE "WEEP HOLES" TO ALLOW WATER TO DRAIN FROM THE UPPER LEVEL.

GLASS BOTTLE WALLS

BOTTLE WALL CONSTRUCTION
A BUILDING CONSTRUCTION STYLE WHICH USUALLY USES 1L GLASS BOTTLES (ALTHOUGH MASON JARS, 1/2L GLASS JUGS, ... MAY BE USED AS WELL) AS MASONRY UNITS AND BINDS THEM USING ADOBE, SAND, CEMENT, STUCCO, CLAY, PLASTER, MORTAR OR ANY OTHER JOINT COMPOUND TO RESULT IN AN INTRIGUING STAINED-GLASS LIKE WALL. AN ALTERNATIVE IS TO MAKE THE BOTTLE WALL FROM 1/2L GLASS JUGS FILLED WITH INK AND SET THEM UP BY SUPPORTING THEM BETWEEN 2 WINDOWS.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
BOTTLE WALLS MAY BE MADE FROM RECYCLED MASON JARS, SUCH AS THIS JAM JAR ALTHOUGH BOTTLE WALLS CAN BE CONSTRUCTED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, THEY ARE TYPICALLY MADE ON A FOUNDATION THAT IS SET INTO A TRENCH IN THE EARTH TO ADD STABILITY TO THE WALL. THE TRENCH IS FILLED WITH A RUBBLE OF PEA GRAVEL AND THEN FILLED IN WITH CEMENT. REBAR CAN BE SET INTO THE FOUNDATION TO ADD STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. BOTTLE WALLS RANGE ONE BOTTLE TO TWO BOTTLES THICK. PRIMITIVE MIXTURE, SUCH AS COB OR ADOBE CAN BE USED AS MORTAR TO BIND THE BOTTLES. IT IS THICKLY SPREAD ON THE PREVIOUS LAYER OF BOTTLES FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT LAYER WHICH IS PRESSED INTO THE MIXTURE. TYPICALLY TWO FINGERS OF SEPARATION ARE USED AS A MEANS OF SPACING ALTHOUGH ANY KIND OF SPACING CAN BE ACHIEVED. BOTTLES CAN ALSO BE DUCT TAPED TOGETHER TO CREATE A WINDOW-TYPE EFFECT. TWO SIMILAR SIZE BOTTLES CAN BE TAPED TOGETHER WITH THE OPENINGS ALLOWING A LIGHT PASSAGE WAY. THIS ALSO TRAPS AIR AND CREATES A SMALL AMOUNT OF INSULATION. FILLING GLASS WITH LIQUID THAT WILL BE SUBJECTED TO FREEZING AND THAWING IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, BUT IS USEFUL IF THE GLASS IS PROTECTED FROM TEMPERATURE EXTREMES.

MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

GLASS BOTTLE WALLS

HEAT SINK WHEN THE BOTTLES ARE FILLED WITH A (DARK) LIQUID, OR OTHER DARK MATERIAL, THE WALL CAN FUNCTION AS A THERMAL MASS, ABSORBING SOLAR RADIATION DURING THE DAY AND RADIATING IT BACK INTO THE SPACE AT NIGHT, THUS DAMPENING DIURNAL TEMPERATURE SWINGS.
BINDING MINXTURE A TYPICAL MORTAR MIX IS 3:1 MASON SAND TO A POZZALAN (FLY ASH)CEMENT MIX. OTHER MIXTURES COULD BE MADE FROM MORTAR AND CLAY, ADOBE, COB, SAND OR CEMENT. BOTTLE WALLS ARE EXTREMELY VERSATILE AND COULD BE BONDED WITH PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT CAN ENDURE ITS GIVEN CLIMATE.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO CUT A GLASS BOTTLE:HOW TO MAKE GLASS BOTTLE BRICKS

PAPERCRETE ITS CURRENT USE SEEMS TO BE LIMITED TO AREAS WITH LITTLE ANNUAL RAINFALL AND VERY WARM, DRY CLIMATES, SUCH AS ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO.

PAPERCRETE IS MADE FROM LOW-GRADE WASTE PAPER WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO LANDFILL. ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT IS VERY LOW. EXCELLENT THERMAL INSULATION, SUITABLE FOR USE IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE LOW-COST HOUSING. PAPERCRETE IS AN EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL WHICH REPLACES SOME AMOUNT OF CEMENT WITH PAPER PULP IN THE MIX. THERE IS NO INFORMATION ABOUT ITS STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR AND DURABILITY, THATS WHY ITS USE REMAINS LIMITED.

ADVANTAGES: 1) THE FINISHED MATERIAL CAN ABSORB SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE WITHOUT CRACKING OR COLLAPSING, MAKING IT A PROMISING CHOICE FOR ROOFING. 2) THE RAINWATER IS ABSORBED INTO THE PAPERCRETE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, AND THEN RELEASED BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH EVAPORATION AS THE ROOF DRIES. 3) THE BRICKS AND FORMS CAN ALSO BE CREATED BY AMATEUR BUILDERS WITH HOMEMADE EQUIPMENT, ANOTHER COST-SAVING ADVANTAGE. DIS-ADVANTAGES: 1) THE MATERIAL MUST BE TREATED WITH A PROTECTIVE COATING BEFORE IT CAN BE USED TO FORM WALLS OR OTHER EXPOSED ELEMENTS. 2) WALLS MADE OF PAPERCRETE ALSO TEND TO WICK MOISTURE FROM THE GROUND, CREATING AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR MOLD GROWTH. 3) PAPERCRETE IS FIRE-RESISTANT, BUT NOT ENTIRELY FIREPROOF. IT IS AS NEW AS A "GREEN CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, THAT THERE IS LITTLE INFORMATION ON ITS LONG-TERM VIABILITY AND SAFETY.