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Building homes in africa
  • Sasha (mrkflux at sezampro DOT yu) wrote on May 14th, 2008:

    Hi, this is a comment on our wiki from someone in Africa.
    dded to OpenSourceEcology/CompressedEarthBlock

    Enanesh (enanesh at gmail DOT com) wrote on May 10th, 2008:
    I am intersted in taking this machine to build homes in Africa. Please contact me to discuss. enanesh at gmail DOT com

     
  • 7 Comments sorted by
  • Thanks Eli!
     
  • If I remember correctly, the Alliance Française building in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town was built of compressed earth blocks made using a simple hand-operated press. The blocks had some Portland-cement content because the material available on site was mainly sea sand, which lacks the grain gradation to gain substantial cohesion under pressure.

    The problems with compressed earth in the sorts of urban contexts in which the key to much sustainable settlement lies are structural limitations and site-inefficiency, compared to conventional clay brick and mortar. In other words, while four-storey structures might be perfectly feasable in these materials, the concomitant wall thicknesses at street level represent an unwelcome additional constraint on planning on already tight sites. And a four-storey vernacular on tight urban sites is precisely what sustainable settlement needs.

    Not that the primary problem of shelter in Africa is one of bricks. There really is nothing wrong with fired clay brick - it is an extremely durable natural material - except that the brickfields belong to the wrong people. It is better if clamp-fired using coppiced riverine poplar or willow.
     
  • Ned,
    The Alliance Française building in Mitchell's
    Plain, Cape Town was built of compressed earth blocks made using a
    simple hand-operated press. The blocks had some Portland-cement content
    because the material available on site was mainly sea sand, which lacks
    the grain gradation to gain substantial cohesion under pressure
    .
    Seems to look like this press: http://youtu.be/UDmjToX3aBI
    But this sure looks like cemented and very dry.

    For all mixed sand it is always adviced to use raw sand not the round sea shore sand.
    There are possibilities to grain river stones 16-100mm to smaller parts like 4-16mm and the finer 1-4mm, all in the same routine but sorted out.
    The complete machine is about 10 meters long 2,5 meters wide and about 5 meters high.
    Personaly after research of interest and testing I would advice the following examples:

    Use good system framework:
    http://youtu.be/bV0ZxkheeTs

    Rammed earth:
    http://youtu.be/5J1765N2hhg

    But most interesting a study in America of a combined earth and straw:
    http://youtu.be/7J0862TFPwU

    Most importand is to use 10% cement for the binding, it is everywere on the rammed earth tubes.
    But combining it with straw in my opinion it makes it more stable and natural stronger and insulation. Its needs a finish on both sides.
    After ramming the sun does the afterheating of the cementing process.

    Have fun watching, http://youtu.be/OibqdwHyZxk
    Leo




     
  • I will be happy to assist technically in building CEB presses locally. I am currently based in Cape town and have 20 years machine shop experience.
     
  • I'm in Sea Point. Where are you?
     
  • oops AFK there abit. I'm in Muizenberg. mail mosesashton@gmail.com
     
  • I have a 3rd generation manual CEB press set of blueprints if you want them.  I am doing a build of the prototype now here in the Philippines.

    Plan is to sell these locally thru the hardware stores.  Finished product will be CNC cut and powdercoat finish.  Still trying to find a good local weld shop for TIG welding as I am woefully out of practice and only have a AC buzz box welder.  

    Email me metzindutries at gmail dot com.  I have the DXF files to make these on a CNC torch table as well.


     

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