[GSBN] Data base of approved natural building codes

[Andy Horn]

Hi all

While this is not specifically about straw bale building, my question ultimately will relate back to getting a straw bale code along with other natural building codes established for the Southern part of Africa. 

 

I am trying to motivate our South African standards body to look at standards for earthen buildings at the moment, of which incredibly despite numerous earthen buildings (mostly informal or traditional), we don’t have any. As one might guess amongst other reasons the cement, steel and brick industries are still very much in control in this country.

 

South Africa is part of a process amongst SADC - The Southern Africa Development Countries - to harmonize its various standards between its  trading partners. 

 

Zimbabwe have a rammed earth building code and this standard, after much effort, last April has been adopted though this “SADCSTAN” process for all member states. This was after 8 out of the 10 voting countries voted in favour of adopting the standard. So we now have an official standard (SADCSTAN/TC1 SC5-001 SAZ724 Standard Code of Practice for Rammed Earth Structures ) for the SADC region that is meant to be published in each member state by each of its various standards bodies.  

 

Unfortunately despite heavy lobbying by interested people, our standards board – SABS – representing South Africa did not vote in favour of the code and are now refusing to publish the standard locally. As such I have started a process to try and get them to rethink their position. 

 

As part of the detailed motivation form that I have to fill out as the official route to get them to look at adopting a standard, I am being asked: 

 

QUESTION 1: What other (earth) building codes, regional or national or international – that include rammed earth – besides our Zimbabwe rammed earth building code are there?

So far I know of:

- the New Zealand Earth building codes (NZS4297-1998, NZS4298-1998, & NZS4299-1998,  )

- the USA Tucson Pima County earth building code  (1997 Uniform Administrative Code Amendment for Earthen Material and Straw Bale Structures)

  Tucson/Pima County, Arizona "APPENDIX CHAPTER 71 - EARTHEN MATERIAL STRUCTURES”)

- the German earth building codes: National Material Code for Prefabricated Earth Products DIN 18945 till -47 (blocks, masonry mortar, plaster)

 

(I still need to investigate and contact Craterre-EAG in this regard and perhaps UNESCO)

 

QUESTION 2: What international or foreign national technical committee’s working in this field are there? 

 

 

Getting our SABS to adopt the rammed earth code would be a major foot in the door for us to get our corporate minded authorities to re-consider earth and other natural materials as a viable and sustainable way to build.  

 

However, this would I believe just be the start of a drive to push for codes for all natural building and appropriate technology type codes... including the ICC’s straw bale and light straw clay standard of course as well as others like cob, adobe, wattle and daub, earth bag, sandbag, urbanite, stone, bamboo, bottle walls, cordwood, earthen plasters etc. So....

 

QUESTION 3: In addition to codes on rammed earth, I would be interested in knowing about any other natural building codes that may exist.....so please send any links or info you know of that you think will be of help. 

 

Perhaps to stream line things in your responses you can add a prefix:

1 - Earth building codes

2 - Natural building Technical code committees  

3 - Other natural building code

 

I am looking forward to your many - I hope - inputs and once I have compiled as complete a list as possible, I will email it back for everyone. 

 

Many thanks

Andy Horn

 

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