The Auroville earth institute is doing an amazing work on vaults since many years. They also provide special equipments for producing the earth blocs. <div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/auram_earth_equipment_introduction_en.php">http://www.earth-auroville.com/auram_earth_equipment_introduction_en.php</a></div>
<div><br><div>Sometime ago I asked them if it was possible to use lime instead of ciment (in the earth mix). </div>
<div>They gave me some ideas <span>regarding an ideal soil.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><div><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">The ratio soil/sand:<u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Note that clayey soils can be used by adding some sand to it. Very clayey ones will rather be stabilised with lime instead of cement and adding a little sand to it. The best soils for compressed stabilised earth blocks are sandier than clayey.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">We (at Auroville) consider that the best soil for compressed stabilised earth blocks has these proportions:<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">10% Gravel (10 to 2 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<font face="Arial">50% sand (2 to 0.06 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">15% silt (0.06 to 0.002 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">20% clay (below 0.002 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Such a soil is difficult to find as such. It should often be modified by sieving and adding some sand if it is too clayey. If it is too sandy, no sand should be added.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Adding sand and stabilising the soil depends on its quality. Therefore, it is not possible to give a general recipe, as soils are as different as human beings.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
</div></div><div><font face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial">Mr. Satprem of the Auroville Earth Institute was also contacted regarding the use of lime as a stabilizer. He confirmed that it is ok to use lime as a stabilizer,as already mentioned above, mainly for soil with more clay. For more detailed information regarding the use of lime as a stabilizer, you can also write directly to Mr.Satprem <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><a href="mailto:earthinstitute@auroville.org.in" rel="nofollow" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span lang="FR"><font color="#0000ff" size="3">earthinstitute@auroville.org.in</font></span></a><font size="3"> </font></span></font></div>
<div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font size="3">The Auroville Earth Institute <font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.earth-auroville.com</a> </font><font color="#000000">which has a lot of information on earth construction. </font></font></span></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">All the best</font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">Jorge Van Krieken</font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">Portugal</font></div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:20 PM, John Swearingen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:john.skillfulmeans@gmail.com" target="_blank">john.skillfulmeans@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Cratere, in Grenoble has done lots of work with blocks, and some vaults.<br>
<span><font color="#888888"><br>
John<br>
</font></span><div><br>
On Dec 12, 2011, at 11:12 AM, <a href="mailto:huffnpuff@q.com" target="_blank">huffnpuff@q.com</a> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Chris and All,<br>
><br>
> I do remember perusing the info posted for the Catalan vaults and found it most interesting. About a year ago I had an opportunity to attend a charrette on Compressed Earth Blocks, hosted by Bernard Amadei at the U. of Colorado. These CEB builders were meeting to discuss similar issues that we SB builder types are/have experienced with acceptance, testing, codes etc. Two fellows of particular vision and spirit were Satprem Maini from the Auroville Institute, India <a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php" target="_blank">http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php</a> and Jim Hallock, of icatis, USA <a href="http://www.icatis.org/" target="_blank">http://www.icatis.org/</a>, both NGO's building with CEB's and Vaults/domes. Both web sites are full of the work these two organizations have done and are eye candy for anyone interested in vaults. If you visit the icatis site you'll see they have teamed with George Nez and built at least one of his 'thin shelled latex concrete' roof systems.<br>
><br>
> Currently our local engineer and COSBA member Ian Smith and his wife (both engineers) are on their honeymoon in India at the Auroville Institute at a workshop on vaults. That's devotion...<br>
><br>
> Mark Schueneman<br>
> COSBA<br>
><br>
><br>
> ----- Original Message -----<br>
> From: "Chris Magwood" <<a href="mailto:chris@chrismagwood.ca" target="_blank">chris@chrismagwood.ca</a>><br>
> To: "with public archives) Global Straw Building Network (private" <<a href="mailto:GSBN@greenbuilder.com" target="_blank">GSBN@greenbuilder.com</a>><br>
> Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:55:05 AM<br>
</div><div><div>> Subject: [GSBN] Catalan vaults<br>
><br>
> Hi all,<br>
><br>
> The mention on this list some months back about Catalan vaults (or<br>
> Guastavino vaults) sparked my interest, and we've now decided to forge<br>
> ahead and build one as the roof for a buried, earthbag root cellar at<br>
> Trent University.<br>
><br>
> Does anybody have experience building these, or know of anybody who<br>
> does. I'd like to try and hire in somebody to lead us in this build.<br>
> It's a small structure (18 x 22 ft) so it won't be a long build, but I<br>
> always like to have someone knowledgeable in charge when doing things I<br>
> haven't done before.<br>
><br>
> The budget for the project is not high, but I would be willing to try<br>
> and cover travel costs, food, lodging and a bit of cash for the right<br>
> person.<br>
><br>
> Let me know!<br>
><br>
> Chris<br>
><br>
> --<br>
> <a href="http://www.chrismagwood.ca" target="_blank">www.chrismagwood.ca</a><br>
> <a href="http://www.endeavourcentre.org" target="_blank">www.endeavourcentre.org</a><br>
><br>
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