Circular Economy
Rammed Earth
Definition
Rammed earth is a construction technique in which moist subsoil — sometimes stabilised with small quantities of cement or lime — is compacted in layers within temporary formwork to create solid monolithic walls. Using abundant local material with minimal processing, it has very low embodied energy and carbon compared with fired brick or concrete, and its thermal mass moderates indoor temperatures.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
How it is used
The technique appears in vernacular revival, eco-building standards, and research on low-embodied-carbon construction materials for housing in both developing and industrialised contexts.
Why it matters
Buildings' embodied carbon is a growing share of their life-cycle impact; earth construction demonstrates that structural walls can be built from material with almost no processing emissions.