How does it cope with rain/storms?
Rammed earth is extremely durable. There are numerous examples of rammed earth buildings and structures which are hundreds of years old – for example, much of the Great Wall of China is made from an earlier method of rammed earth construction. Modern methods have improved the finished product enormously from those days. Today’s rammed earth has the benefit of modern soil technology and testing methods, and a better understanding of the chemistry involved. Other advances in the technology include the addition of a small percentage of cement, better structural design methods, the inclusion of damp courses and concrete footings, mechanical compaction of the walls, regulatory controls by building authorities and the use of water based silicon water repellants. We expect our improved rammed earth walls to last for many hundreds of years. In addition to the above improvements, in particularly exposed positions (such as garden walls) it is possible to to add a water repellant admix to the soi
