John C Daley wrote:Post and infill gives you the ability to have a roof while you are building the walls barbed wire is a very good interlocking device ad if you use 8 inch wide bricks as a minimum or even 10 the walls are very stable.
I think interlocking bricks may work if you use very little mortar between the bricks.
But with earth bricks, an earth mortar of the same material as the blocks are made from, and about 1 inch thick when the block is laid, will be very good.
John C Daley wrote:As builder of CEB machines I can say that interlocking blocks are not such a great idea. Walls are easy enough to build without them.
You may find somebody who can make your bricks for you, if you have cash.
Otherwise make adobe bricks, which take a bit longer.
Either way, earth bricks are hard work.
I know I have built many homes with them.
R Scott wrote:That link should get you enough to have a local shop build you one, and any decent shop should be able to add the interlocking feature. The plans were out there on how to add in the Lego plates. I will see if I can find them.
R Scott wrote:https://permies.com/t/33406/built-Cinva-Ram-CEB-press
Others have made your path easier.
thomas rubino wrote:Hi Perric;
I did a quick search and found the same things you did. China / third world is the place to buy one. MAYBE you could locate a used one in the U.S. ... I wouldn't know where to ask ???
Alibaba itself I believe is up front (honest) each seller is the question. They have ratings like ebay and I think I would use my judgment after contact, to determine if I want to send them my thousand dollars or not... My biggest concern would be the shipping. I would want a locked down price up front. At the least , delivered to the nearest large town.
Catherine Windrose wrote:While looking for ways to test different mixes with or without added materials, I found this video which gave me a lot of ideas how to test at home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0olpSN6_TCc
Sand Castle Holds Up A Car! - Mechanically Stabilized Earth
When I was thinking about using sandy soil in earthbags and didn't want to risk wearing and tearing, I looked for screen materials as mentioned after the 4:00 minute mark in the video above. (That homework led to finding basalt materials formed as rebar, mesh, fabric, rope for various purposes. I may use a basalt mesh or fabric for a project.)
Your area being low in clay, might produce the effect you're looking for by making a thicker wall by layering something suitable about every foot or two. If you try dropping different shapes of heavy weights on the test bricks, that might help find a way to combine materials to achieve the strength you're looking for.
Forgive the lack of tech jargon. I'm nowhere near being an engineer, and learn by seeing what goes boom or not :)