earthbag
Building with dirt
An earthbag is a bag filled with soil or other natural materials, stacked and tamped to form walls in construction.
The technique produces durable, low-cost structures using minimal processed materials: They built an earthbag dome for under two thousand dollars.
Earthbag building appeals to off-grid homesteaders and disaster relief efforts alike.
Without utility connections
- low-costRequiring little money
- low-impactMinimally stressful on body
- renewableCapable of restoration
- recyclableCapable of being remade
energy-efficient · eco-conscious · humanitarian · self-sufficient · DIY · permaculture
Sustaining structural mass
- durableAble to withstand use
- fireproofUnable to ignite
- bulletproofResistant to gunfire
- bunkerReinforced subterranean stronghold
fortification · levee · embankment · barrier · monolithic
Compacting by repeated pressure
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- eco-domeSealed ecological habitat
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- trenchLong narrow excavation
plaster · courses · buttress · arch · vault · corbel · lintel · formwork
off-grid
Without utility connections
- low-costRequiring little money
- low-impactMinimally stressful on body
- renewableCapable of restoration
recyclable · energy-efficient · eco-conscious · humanitarian · self-sufficient · DIY · permaculture
load-bearing
Sustaining structural mass
- durableAble to withstand use
- fireproofUnable to ignite
- bulletproofResistant to gunfire
bunker · fortification · levee · embankment · barrier · monolithic
tamping
Compacting by repeated pressure
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- eco-domeSealed ecological habitat
- foundationUnderlying support structure
trench · plaster · courses · buttress · arch · vault · corbel · lintel · formwork · compression
insulation
Thermal transfer prevention
sandbags
Filled sacks for barriers
- polypropyleneVersatile thermoplastic resin
- burlapCoarse woven fiber
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
sand · clay · subsoil · geotextile · mesh · twine · pins · tubes · misprints · pumice
earthbagsteel frame
Metal structural support system
reinforced concrete · structural steel · concrete block · aluminum siding · manufactured housing
earthbagindustrial building
Facility for manufacturing goods
tract housing · McMansion · skyscraper · industrial architecture · suburban sprawl