Strength

Does rammed earth wash away?

Professionally constructed Rammed Earth walls will not disintegrate any faster than other masonry systems over time. Rammed Earth walls are inherently waterproof to a substantial degree, integral admixtures are used and/or clear surface coatings can be applied to walls if needed for even higher performance.

How well do rammed earth walls withstand fire?

Fire tests to AS1530.4 - 1985 on a 300mm thick Rammed Earth wall with 6% cement gave 240/240/240 for structural adequacy/integrity/insulative capacity. Rammed Earth walls can be built to have a four-hour fire rating which is the highest needed in Australian general building codes. Furthermore, Rammed Earth walls do not burn or evolve smoke or toxic chemicals, as do some other building products.

How strong are the walls?

Building Codes call for a characteristic compressive strength of not less than 2Mpa which Rammed Earth walls exceed. Standard 300mm Rammed Earth walls can be built as load bearing constructions for up to four stories high, but can be designed to go up to TEN stories if required.