Hi, I'm new here @ permies but wanted to hop in with some questions about rammed earth walls/homes. I live in a dry climate in the middle of Chile (6 inches of rain per year avg from what I could find although that sound too low) I'm seriously looking at building an earth sheltered home or underground home to keep cool in the summer and for the forestfires that are becoming more frequent. I've built a lot of conventional wooden structures but none out of dirt! But I do like the idea. I have watched some videos on rammed earth walls and understand the basics. I own a bobcat with a hoe attachment and have the skills for building, fabricating, improvising etc. What I don't have is experience in these types of building materials so hence the questions! Now a couple of questions, (hopefully for someone who has experience in rammed earth)
The first question is can rammed earth walls be back filled against? Maybe with a layer of styrofoam inbetween the wall and the backfill? In other words can they withstand some moisture? Remember I live where we are DRY, not desert yet but dry! another one, can I combine rammed earth walls with a living roof or dirt roof? Any help is appreciated! look forward to hearing from you all.
