Building An Earthbag Dome

At a glance..

This book helps you plan and implement your design. This practical book is highly recommended for anyone looking to building an earthbag dome.

The details..

Building an Earthbag Dome by Rob Wainwright and Stephanie Watts is a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in sustainable building techniques. This book focuses on the relatively new method of earthbag construction, also known as superadobe or flexible form rammed earth building. It provides detailed instructions for constructing curved forms such as domes and vaults with this technique.

The authors explain how to build load-bearing walls with polypropylene or hessian bags filled with moist soil mix compressed by hand tools called 'tamping'. They also describe how barbed wire between each row adds tensional strength to the wall while holding bags in place during tamping.

The Northern Rivers region of New South Wales serves as a case study throughout the book where they built a 4m diameter dome designed to withstand climatic factors like high temperatures up to 40C in summer and subzero overnight temperatures in winter. The authors share their experience working with local conditions & materials before tackling larger projects; readers can learn from their mistakes.

In addition to providing step-by-step instructions on how to construct an earthen structure, Building an Earthbag Dome includes unique features integrated into its design: rubble trench footing containing French drain for drainage purposes; appropriate passive solar design; rammed-earth flooring; living roof etc., making it more than just another DIY manual but rather a complete resource.