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Earth bag or rammed earth?

 
pollinator
Posts: 337
Location: SW Washington State
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I have some property in NE Nevada.  The wind blows quite strongly in the evening - it is hot during the day for 5 months of the year - there are all manner of 2 and 4 legged critters that come and go.  I am learning to use a CAD program now for the sake of developing this property.  I would like to build a wall around the property to help me address a number of the issues previously mentioned. I am leaning towards rammed earth or earth bags.  I have looked into natural fences, but I would like something that can be put up in a couple of months.  I would like to run water pipe and electric conduit through the wall - I think rammed earth or earth bags will have enough earth mass to keep water from freezing.  Any suggestions?
 
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I've lived in rammed earth for about 25 years and I love it, but honestly it's not that fast to build and move in to. I imagine earth bag might have the same issue: It takes a lot longer to build rammed earth than you expect. And it takes a LOT longer to dry than you expect, especially if (as ALWAYS happens to us here) you end up finishing construction in a big hurry as fall turns to winter. In fact, good thick rammed earth walls, 1.5 or 2 feet thick (45 to 60 cm) can stay damp through the first winter in my experience. The second winter in a new rammed earth house is always warmer, in my experience.

Adobe bricks are actually faster, both to build with and to allow moving into a dry house. But that may be because they are the most common building material here, so they are available by the truckload, or can be made on site. They do require the additional steps of shaping them and turning them as they dry, but then that means when the wall is built, it's only the mud mortar that is wet and needs to dry.
 
pollinator
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Location: Kansas Zone 6a
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For a fence, mechanized rammed earth would be pretty quick if your dirt is ready to go. Mix and load with a loader, ram with an air tamper or jumping jack compactor. Pour a concrete bond beam cap.

 
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Anyone in Mohave County Arizona building with Rammed Earth or Earthbags please contact me.
 
pollinator
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Tom, great idea!
But how long, how high, how much money, how much time, how much machinery all all factors which will make it possible or not.
Is wire not practical?
 
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