making bricks

centre of alternative technology diary sasha nash 11032153 ata: adp022n

contents
01 02 03 04 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 friday 03.02.12 existing site initial aims cinva ram: key parts cinva ram: basic process saturday 04.02.12 sourcing material defrosting clay gathering earth unsieved earth bricks sieved earth bricks clay bricks earth + clay bricks adding aggregates the perfect brick mix using frogs and inserts removing frogs frogs, wedges + inserts forms used frogged bricks sunday 05.02.12 production line the perfect process strength test inconsistent dimensions design + build final design 29 30 31 32 35 36 39 40 41 42 placement on site on site alight at night the end of the day monday 06.02.12 photographs photographs post wales history of earth blocks compressed earth blocks in the modern age centre for earth architecture, mali contemporary buildings

friday

03.02.2012

existing site
The site was still filled with the previous groups work. They had been there only two weeks previously so everything on site was still pretty much exactly as they had left it. It was interesting to see what they had acheieved in short two day period and an inspiring starting point for all of us.

1. willow and moss canopy 2. dry slate wall with opening 3. larch pole viewing platform 1 01 2 3

initial aims
None of our group had ever made an earth brick, let alon seen a cinva ram. Our aim for the weekend was quite simple: to create a perfect compressed earth brick!

02

cinva ram: key parts

handle

mold box lever latch

toggle linkage upper saddle

piston

cover

base

03

cinva ram: basic process

The basic function of the cinva ram is compress a soil/aggregate mixture into brick shape. the process is quite simple: 1. An aggregate mixture is loaded into mold box. 1 2 2. The cover is rotated round to close the mold box. 3. The lever latch is fitted into upper saddle. 4. The lever is pulled firmly down until it clicks. during this process the toggle linkage pushes the piston upwards, compressing the soil/aggregate mixture from below into a brick. 5. The lever is pulled back, the lever latch is lifted out of the upper saddle and the cover rotated to open the mold box. 6. The lever is now pushed firmly down in the opposite direction, this pushes the piston upwards and the brick is pushed up and out of the mold box.

6 04

saturday

04.02.2012

sourcing material
We knew we would need different types of soil and different aggregates in order to work out the formula for a perfect brick - and we would have to use what was available. After looking around the site and immediate area we were able to find various different soil types, however the cold weather had frozen the ground solid making digging impossible.

clay

We managed to source clay from a previous groups project that had used a series of small clay balls to build a domed oven. The structure had collapsed in on itself so we didnt feel to bad about taking it apart. However these clay balls were frozen absolutely solid, we had to build a fire and stack the clay balls near by in order to thaw them out.

earth

We managed to find an area of earth that was inside a shelter and had been protected from the rain - making it bone dry and therefore not frozen!

aggregates

We wanted to experiment by using different types of aggregates and to see what impact this would have on the quality of brick. We managed to find slate shingle, straw and small pieces of cork. breaking up the clay ball oven 07

defrosting clay

dry firewood supply...

was

in

scarce

...but we defrosting!

prevailed

and

began

the clay balls not only thawed, but also dried out

08

gathering earth

finely sifted earth for brick making

The area of dry earth was dug and sieved to create a fine powder which is what we wanted for making the bricks. The left over lumps were given to the rammed earth group as this was the perfect type of earth for their purpose. This allowed both groups to work together and gather materials quickly.

lumpy earth for the rammed earth wall group

09

unsieved earth bricks

Our first brick attempt was out of unsieved earth. The pieces of earth were too large and the cinva ram was incapable of compressing it into a usable brick.

10

sieved earth bricks

We tried a brick using just finely sieved earth and we also compacted it in layers by pounding it with a heavy fired brick. This created very hard and firm bricks, but also quite brittle, especially around the edges and corners.

11

clay bricks

Breaking the clay balls up into small pieces we were able to load the molding box of the cinva ram and produce a brick made entirely from clay. The bricks came out with crisp edges, but they were soft to the touch and the clay was still malleable.

12

clay and sieved earth mix bricks

By mixing finely sieved earth and clay together we were aimed to get the right quantities of both to give us a crisp form and a hard surface. Getting the ratio of clay to finely sieved earth just right was a challenge, but by the end of the day we managed to do it. (See page 15 for the perfect brick mix!)

13

adding aggregates

We experimented with adding aggregates to the brick mixture but these bricks were mostly unsuccessful and failed. We think this is possibly due to the aggregates not being fine enough to mix sufficiently with the clay and earth mix.

14

the perfect brick mix

3 buckets of finely sieved, dry earth We tried many different combinations of earth and clay to get the perfect mixture. After lots of trial and error we established that the best mixture was 10 clay balls and 3 small buckets of finely sieved dry earth. We found that with too much clay the bricks would be firm, but very malleable and soft to touch. When too much finely sieved dry earth was added the bricks would generally be very hard but became quite brittle. 10 defrosted clay balls

15

frogs and inserts

brick formed with negative of frog

frog We made some experiments using frogs and different types of inserts to change the form of the bricks we were producing. As well as creating interesting shapes it meant we reduced the amount of raw material needed per brick. The frog or insert would be placed at the bottom of the molding box, then covered with earth mix and pressed. The formed brick would then be produced with the negative of the frog.

molding box base

16

frog removal
1 2 3

After pressing the brick in the cinva ram we had to make sure the frog would be removable. To do this we fitted the frogs with string that formed a handle, enabling us to pull the frogs out easily. 1. Brick is pressed with frog at bottom of molding box 2. Brick is rotated 180 degrees to expose frog 3. Handle allows easy removal of frog

17

frogs + wedges
split log chamfered 2x2 wedge larger wedge

plywood double plywood flattened aluminium pipe

reinforced wedge

18

forms used

19

frogged bricks

20

sunday

05.02.2012

production line
Today was all about producing as many bricks as possible. To achieve this we set up a production line to maximise our efficiency. This consisted of: 3 3 2 1 people people people person mixing clay and earth operating the cinva ram seiving tending the fire and thawing the clay balls

mixing board

sieved earth pile cinva ram

When operating at fulls speed we were able to produce a brick approximately every five minutes.

brick store fire thawing frozen clay balls wheel barrow used to transport sieved earth to mixing area 23

the perfect process

The best process for making bricks that we used on day 2 was the following: 1. Sprinkle molding box base with dry sieved earth 1 2 3 2. Place frog on molding box base and also sprinkle with dry sieved earth 3. Using hands press earth and clay mix into corners using hands. This ensures nice crisp corners 4. Fill molding box with earth and clay mix 5. Use cinva ram to press brick 4 5 6 6. Place piece of plywood on brick surface and use length of timber to pound brick 7. Brick should approximately half in size 8. Refill molding box with more earth and clay mix 9. Use cinva ram to press brick a second time 7 8 9

24

strength test

We tested the compressive strength of our bricks and they performed well! We also observed how the bricks would react when subjected to heat. Placing a brick in the fire for a few hours it survived well with just a little bit of crumbling at the corners.

25

inconsistent dimensions

v a r i a b l ; e

co

ns

ta

nt

s con

tan

Despite our best efforts to be consistent with the amount of mixture and method used, the bricks ultimately came out slightly different in size from one another. Luckily this variablity in size is only in one dimension. We were still able to stack our bricks unconvientianally - basically on their side, with the frogs facing outwards. We liked this way of stacking anyway as it showed the beautiful indentation of the frog and created an interesting shadow pattern

Cinva ram compresses from below

26

design and build

We were unsure how many bricks we would be able to produce over the two days, so we had started out without a particular design in mind. However over the course of the two days we decided a glowing chimney/ lamp/heated tower with an internal fire would become the fruit of our labour. During production we started experimenting with different stacking techniques that would allow us to build as tall as possible.

27

final design
We were unsure how many bricks we would be able to produce over the two days, so we had started out without a particular design in mind. However over the course of the two days we decided a glowing chimney/ lamp/heated tower with an internal fire would become the fruit of our labour. During production we started experimenting with different stacking techniques that would allow us to build as tall as possible.

Corner detail

28

placement on site
Canterlevered larch pole viewing platform

View
Recycled timber viewing frame + seat Slate wall with two seats Earth block chimney/lamp/heater

Reclaimed brick bench and BBQ

Willow beacon

Rammed earth bench

29

on site

30

alight at night

31

the end of the day

32

monday

06.02.2012

photographs

35

photographs

36

post wales

history of earth blocks

Humans have been building with earth for at least 10,000 years. It has been used in a variety of ways, from hand formed cob walls, wattle and daub structures where earth is moulded around a frame and hand formed into unbaked bricks. In 1789 a French architect called Francois Contreaux built the first mechanical press capable of compressing earth into blocks. The main advantage over mechanically compressed earth blocks is that they are ready to be used immeadiately after pressing, while hand formed clay bricks need hydration during the molding process and then require a few days of hot weather to dry in before they are usable and taking up a lot of space. 39

Using wooden forms to create mud bricks.

compressed earth blocks in the modern age

Compressed earth blocks arent just a vernacular use of earth for developing countries - above is an earth brick produced by major UK brick seller IBSTOCK. The photo on the left shows a build on site in Texas, USA in 2006. The earth was collected and the bricks manufactured on site using a cinva ram. The use of locally sourced materials and the high thermal mass of earth bricks will greatly reduce the carbon footprint of this dwelling.

40

centre for earth architecture, mali

41

contemporary buildings

A compressed earth block vaulted roof in Cedesa in Mexico on the left and a Japanese residential home above.

42