Enhancing Rammed Earth’s Accessibility Through Novel Tectonic Machines: Developing and Testing a Rotational Tamper

Abstract

In the realm of accessible building technologies, rammed earth construction is a low-skilled,
low-cost process of making architecture that commonly employs material found on site. This ancient construction process, where a loose earthen material mix in formwork is compacted with simple tooling, results in walls that are sustainable, healthy for inhabitants, and high-performance. Rammed earth walls offer functional compressive strength, filter air, capture and release heat, transpire moisture, become more durable with age, and are resistant to fire and infestation.

While anyone can skill-up to make rammed earth, the basic tooling and intensive labor involved can significantly tax and/or harm a builder’s body. This form of inaccessibility can be off-putting to would-be earth builders, people who may not possess or who cannot afford the requisite calorie-intensive physicality to construct with rammed earth. The research detailed in this paper starts with the observation that rammed earth construction is associated with a technological evolution filled with gaps. In the current spectrum of rammed earth tooling/machinery there is significant space for machine development – new tooling/machines that operate between hand-tamping (low tech), and industrial-scale robotics and/or rammed earth “printing” (high tech).

With the goal of making rammed earth architecture more accessible by specifically addressing the requisite physical labor, a series of prototypical machines – Rotational Tampers – were developed and fabricated at 1:1 scale. These machines were tested in producing rammed earth walls and/or test samples for compaction, while monitoring the machine-user’s heart rate as means of measuring expended energy in relation to tamping. In developing the machines, the researcher prioritizes simplifying the Rotational Tamper (easy to fabricate, assemble, and maintain), its operation (easy to set up, intuitive to operate, and easy to disassemble), and its effectiveness (producing quality rammed earth with less effort). Ultimately, the resultant Rotational Tamper(s) will be freely available as open-source plans/instructions.