Compressed Earth Block Cladding/Infill

Hello everyone!

My wife and I are planning to build a house in the rural outskirts of St. Louis, MO in the next 3-5 years, and I've been researching various natural building methods to use as infill and/or cladding for a timber-framed structure.

Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks have caught my attention because of the ability to use material from our own land and end up with an exterior that looks similar to brick cladding which my wife prefers over the monolithic look of plastered/rendered cob, strawbale, etc. We're open to using them as infill with the timbers exposed to the outside or cladding the entire exterior with the blocks.

Is this a viable option? I know brick cladding is popular in modern timber frames, but I'm not sure if CSEBs work similarly.

Is there a particular advantage to using the CSEBs as cladding vs. infill?

I'm also open to any book suggestions or names of natural builders/consultants who would be good resources as we move forward.

Thank you,
Mason

Hi Mason;
Welcome to Permies!
I'm afraid I do not have any firsthand knowledge of using compressed blocks.
My thoughts though are a worry of weather washing your blocks away.
Clay bricks being fired are impervious, but I'm not to sure about compressed blocks.
I assume that with enough roof overhang  they would be protected from driving rain but would still be collecting moisture.
I do not know if that is a problem or not?  Maybe there is a sealer that can be applied?
Hopefully someone with more info will enlighten us!

 

This topic has been covered a few times
Here is one from a few days ago
https://permies.com/t/186104/CEB-questions
But in response to Thomas's notes
I have 45 yeras experience in this field, I build CEB machines also.
My response to Thomas's notes are in CAPITALS

My thoughts though are a worry of weather washing your blocks away.- GOOD DESIGN AND SOIL SELECTION PREVENTS THIS
Clay bricks being fired are impervious, but I'm not to sure about compressed blocks. AIR DRIED EARTH BRICKS ALLOW MOISTURE TO MOVE THROUGH, BUT THEY DONT GET SLOPPY
I assume that with enough roof overhang  they would be protected from driving rain but would still be collecting moisture. GOOD DESIGN AND LIME PLASTERS REDUCE THIS PROBLEM
I do not know if that is a problem or not?  Maybe there is a sealer that can be applied? SEALERS GENERALLY NOT NEEDED
Hopefully someone with more info will enlighten us!
EARTH HOUSES ALWAYS NEED A BIT OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE

OP'S QUESTIONS
GENERALLY STABLISING IS NOT NECESSARY
EQRTH BRICKS CAN BE USED AS LOAD BEARING OR AS INFILL
I ALWAYS SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING
TEST A VARIETY OF SOILS INITIALLY TO FIND THE BEST  ON YOUR BLOCK
- POUR STRIP FOOTINGS WITH POSTS TO HOLD THE ROOF IN LOCATION
- BUILD ROOF STRUCTURE FOR COVER, COLLECTION OF RAINFALL WHILE BUILDING
- CREATE CEBS AND STORE UNDER ROOF OR USE A FEW LAYERS HIGH IMMEADIATELY THEY ARE PRESSED
- COLLECT WINDOWS, DOORS ETC AND STORE UNDER ROOF
- CONSIDER WIDE EAVES OR VERANDAS

Our house is compressed earth bricks without any stabilisation.  We built our house in 1986 from dirt on our land.  The overburden was removed and the dirt down to the clay layer used.  We hired a hydraulic ram and a crew to drive it.
Although compressed earth bricks can be load bearing, our house is post and rail construction so the walls are not load bearing.
Fired clay bricks get wet and then dry which causes them to expand and contract.  This is called brick creep.  The mortar between the bricks fails causing wall to crack or in the worst case fall down.

Because the mortar between the CE bricks is the same as the bricks, the wall becomes a homogenous construct.  Our walls are 300 mm (1') thick and testing shows the walls will likely erode in about 200 years.  Ensure the outside walls are solid.

Our verandas are 1800 mm (6') wide but 2400 mm (8') is better.  Consider having a solar roof on the south side that can close when it rains.  I am a strong advocate for compressed earth brick.  Also look at thermal pump and ground air heat transfer system (GAHT)
Best wishes.

Paul Fookes wrote:Our house is compressed earth bricks without any stabilisation.  We built our house in 1986 from dirt on our land.  The overburden was removed and the dirt down to the clay layer used.  We hired a hydraulic ram and a crew to drive it.
Although compressed earth bricks can be load bearing, our house is post and rail construction so the walls are not load bearing.
Fired clay bricks get wet and then dry which causes them to expand and contract.  This is called brick creep.  The mortar between the bricks fails causing wall to crack or in the worst case fall down.

Because the mortar between the CE bricks is the same as the bricks, the wall becomes a homogenous construct.  Our walls are 300 mm (1') thick and testing shows the walls will likely erode in about 200 years.  Ensure the outside walls are solid.

Our verandas are 1800 mm (6') wide but 2400 mm (8') is better.  Consider having a solar roof on the south side that can close when it rains.  I am a strong advocate for compressed earth brick.  Also look at thermal pump and ground air heat transfer system (GAHT)
Best wishes.

Thanks for the insights. Did you use the earth blocks as cladding or do are they infill? How did you attach the blocks to the posts/rails?

John C Daley wrote:This topic has been covered a few times
Here is one from a few days ago
https://permies.com/t/186104/CEB-questions
But in response to Thomas's notes
I have 45 yeras experience in this field, I build CEB machines also.
My response to Thomas's notes are in CAPITALS

My thoughts though are a worry of weather washing your blocks away.- GOOD DESIGN AND SOIL SELECTION PREVENTS THIS
Clay bricks being fired are impervious, but I'm not to sure about compressed blocks. AIR DRIED EARTH BRICKS ALLOW MOISTURE TO MOVE THROUGH, BUT THEY DONT GET SLOPPY
I assume that with enough roof overhang  they would be protected from driving rain but would still be collecting moisture. GOOD DESIGN AND LIME PLASTERS REDUCE THIS PROBLEM
I do not know if that is a problem or not?  Maybe there is a sealer that can be applied? SEALERS GENERALLY NOT NEEDED
Hopefully someone with more info will enlighten us!
EARTH HOUSES ALWAYS NEED A BIT OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE

OP'S QUESTIONS
GENERALLY STABLISING IS NOT NECESSARY
EQRTH BRICKS CAN BE USED AS LOAD BEARING OR AS INFILL
I ALWAYS SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING
TEST A VARIETY OF SOILS INITIALLY TO FIND THE BEST  ON YOUR BLOCK
- POUR STRIP FOOTINGS WITH POSTS TO HOLD THE ROOF IN LOCATION
- BUILD ROOF STRUCTURE FOR COVER, COLLECTION OF RAINFALL WHILE BUILDING
- CREATE CEBS AND STORE UNDER ROOF OR USE A FEW LAYERS HIGH IMMEADIATELY THEY ARE PRESSED
- COLLECT WINDOWS, DOORS ETC AND STORE UNDER ROOF
- CONSIDER WIDE EAVES OR VERANDAS

Thank you so much for the reply. Do you know if there are any pros/cons to using the blocks as infill between the timbers vs. using them as cladding and completely enclosing a timber frame?

When you say "test a variety of soils" do you mean digging down at different depths, in different spots on the property or just adding different amounts of sand/clay?

When you say "test a variety of soils" do you mean digging down at different depths, in different spots on the property or just adding different amounts of sand/clay?

different depths and spots on the property.
Infill is easier because if you have the posts up, the roof can provide weather protection during construction.

Mason Bruza wrote:Thanks for the insights. Did you use the earth blocks as cladding or do are they infill? How did you attach the blocks to the posts/rails?

Our walls between the posts are solid.  We attached the blocks to the posts by using chicken wire mesh every 3 rows so they are 300 mm  (1') apart.  The mesh is about 100 mm (4") wide.

The outside blocks are 300 mm wide, so solid from outside to in.  The inside blocks 200 mm (8") wide and tied into the other walls with the mesh every 3 rows.  As I said before, the mortar makes the whole structure one mass unlike fired clay bricks which use a different mortar.
The blocks can be shaped and cut to form geometric designs in the rooms.  Things like RMH can be incorporated directly into the design because of the thermal mass.  Also, the gaps between the posts, beams and the blocks are filled in with the same mortar as the walls are built.