Watch this video
Check out this excellent video on modern rammed earth – featuring SIREWALL inventor Meror Krayenhoff, as well as some of our friends in the industry.
What is rammed earth?
Rammed earth is a wall-building method in which an inorganic soil mix is compressed into sufficiently strong and accessible forms.
There are three versions of rammed earth, all of which are in use today:
VERSION 1
Version 1 (V1) is the original type of rammed earth, as used in the Great Wall of China. It uses clay as a binder and has a strength of 150 pounds per square inch (psi).
V1 is vulnerable to earthquakes, erosion from rain, and rising damp.
VERSION 2
V2 has the same components as V1, with the addition of 10% cement.
V2 typically has a strength of 750psi and has reduced vulnerability to earthquakes, water damage, and fluctuating temperatures.
VERSION 3
V3 is by far the strongest rammed earth in the world, which makes it ideal for use in challenging climates and more adventurous architectural expression. It has a minimum strength of 3000psi, achieved through careful selection of soil proportions and admixtures.
SIREWALL is currently the only example of V3.
Comparison of relative compression strength
RAMMED EARTH IS EASY TO DO…
BUT DIFFICULT TO DO WELL
When rammed earth goes wrong, it really goes wrong, and can result in structural failures, lawsuits, wasted time and money – a nightmare situation for any builder.
Examples of aesthetic and structural failures of poorly executed rammed earth.
How has rammed earth evolved?
Strength and durability are the most important areas in which rammed earth has evolved, and the strength of rammed earth is the most important indicator of its quality.
Weak rammed earth walls have been known to collapse, suffer from rain damage or fluctuating temperatures, and have interior dusting issues.
The higher strength of a V3 rammed earth, such as SIREWALL, now allows for this technology to be used in Canada’s far north, in rain forests, and in deserts.
Terra Firma Builders continues to lead the evolution
From 1992 to 2005, Terra Firma Builders was the only company building with insulated rammed earth. In the same period, Terra Firma pioneered the use of iron oxide colouration to enhance the wall’s beauty, embeds as a way to feature precious artifacts, and form carving as a method of artistic expression. Since then, Terra Firma has focussed on developing strength protocols and managing visual crispness, texture, and sheen.
On the production side, Terra Firma has been working on developing rammers, compressive test molds and protocols specific to the needs of the rammed earth industry.
Everything you need to know about the most technically advanced rammed earth wall system on the planet.
Getting intimate with dirt to make something beautiful is when SIREWALL really starts to make sense.